Manhunt Intensifies for Kentucky Gunman on Third Day, Jungle-Like Terrain Searched

A manhunt for a gunman who opened fire near Interstate 75 in Kentucky entered its third day on Monday, with officers hacking through "jungle"-like terrain in search of the suspect. Five people were injured in the shooting.

A manhunt for a gunman in Kentucky stretched into a third day on Monday as officers relentlessly scoured a rugged, hilly area of southeastern Kentucky.

The shooting unfolded Saturday around 6 p.m. near exit 49 of Interstate 75, leaving five people injured. Officers have recovered an AR-15 rifle and a small silver-colored SUV registered to the suspect – 32-year-old Joseph A. Couch.

Manhunt Intensifies for Kentucky Gunman on Third Day, Jungle-Like Terrain Searched

Couch remains on the run, and the extensive search area along the highway has been described as resembling a "jungle," with machetes needed to cut through thickets of woods, according to State police Master Trooper Scottie Pennington.

As darkness fell Sunday night, the search once again ended without any sign of the suspect. The search resumed Monday morning with a focus on a remote area about eight miles north of London.

Manhunt Intensifies for Kentucky Gunman on Third Day, Jungle-Like Terrain Searched

"As this continues, it becomes more stressful for the community, it becomes more stressful for the officers that are there because we're looking ... and we're trying to find him, and we haven't found him," said Deputy Gilbert Acciardo, a spokesperson for the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office.

The terrain in the search area is hilly, rocky, and hard to navigate. Several school districts in the rural area canceled classes Monday out of an abundance of caution. Officials have warned the public to lock doors, keep porch lights on, and monitor security cameras.

Manhunt Intensifies for Kentucky Gunman on Third Day, Jungle-Like Terrain Searched

Couch was initially named as a person of interest before authorities found the vehicle near the crime scene. Authorities said Couch purchased the weapon and about 1,000 rounds of ammunition Saturday morning in London. He has a military background, having served in the National Guard for at least four years.

Investigators believe Couch fired a total of 20 to 30 rounds from a wooded area near the highway where "he could have shot down upon the interstate," according to Acciardo.

Manhunt Intensifies for Kentucky Gunman on Third Day, Jungle-Like Terrain Searched

Bullets struck 12 vehicles and wounded five people, who were all in stable condition early Sunday. Some of the victims had "very serious" injuries, including one person who was shot in the face. Two other people were hurt in a vehicle accident caused by the gunfire.

"We're not going to quit until we do lay hands on him," Laurel County Sheriff John Root said Sunday night.

Manhunt Intensifies for Kentucky Gunman on Third Day, Jungle-Like Terrain Searched

The Associated Press contributed to this report.