A massive search is now underway after a “gunman” shot and killed as many as six people along a rural Kentucky highway on Saturday night and then disappeared, according to authorities and reports.
The gunman is believed to have opened fire around 6 p.m. from a wooded area along Interstate 75 or an overpass about nine miles from the city of London, Kentucky, which is part of Daniel Boone National Forest, according to the Courier Journal.
Local authorities urged residents to stay indoors and avoid areas near highways as the search for the shooter continues.
“We have no idea where he is,” Kentucky State Police spokesman Scotty Pennington told the Courier Journal, adding that the case remains “very active.”
“We are aware of a shooting that occurred on Interstate 75 in Laurel County, Kentucky. Police have closed down both directions at exit 49 for Interstate 75. Please do not approach the area. We will provide more information as it becomes available,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said in a statement.
The Kentucky Department of Transportation said in a statement that Interstate 75 is closed in both northbound and southbound lanes from Exit 49 to Exit 62. Route 25 is also closed.
The Mount Vernon Fire Department warned local residents in a Facebook post at 8 p.m. that “significant delays can be expected.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms said it is assisting local authorities in the investigation, which is being led by Laurel Canyon Police with assistance from Kentucky State Police and other agencies.
Governor Beshear said he is “actively monitoring the situation” with Kentucky State Police and local Homeland Security agencies.
He implored people to “pray for all involved.”
Laurel County is located 90 miles south of Lexington, Kentucky, and has a population of 62,000. The city of London has a population of just over 8,000.
With post wire.