Neighbors of Joseph Couch, a 32-year-old Kentucky man now wanted for allegedly shooting five people randomly on Interstate 75, say he had acted strangely before. They reported that he had pointed a rifle at them and behaved erratically, sometimes walking in circles outside while holding the gun.
Earlier this year, Couch was arrested at his home in Gray, Kentucky, after being charged with terroristic threatening. His house is about 20 miles from where the shooting happened. A neighbor had called the police after Couch allegedly threw a rock at the family’s dog and then pointed a rifle at the neighbor and his 9-year-old child. The neighbor said Couch threatened to shoot them but later the charges were dropped when the neighbor missed the court date.
The neighbor said Couch had threatened others in the neighborhood with a gun and that his family’s dogs were poisoned after the incident.
Another neighbor, Donald Causey, said Couch’s behavior changed earlier this year. Last week, Couch allegedly pointed a gun at Causey for walking near his property and threatened to kill him. Causey didn’t report the incident but now regrets not doing so.
Before the I-75 shooting, Couch sent text messages saying he planned to kill many people and then take his own life. A woman who received the messages called the police.
Couch is now facing charges for attempted murder and assault for wounding five people. Authorities are searching for him in a large, rugged area of southeast Kentucky and offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to his capture.