‘Definitely not road rage’: Kentucky sheriff’s office searches for motive as hunt for I-75 shooter goes on

(CNN) — [Breaking news update, published at 1:14 p.m. ET]

As authorities search the dense woods of rural Laurel County, Kentucky, for a person wanted in connection with the shooting of five people on Interstate 75, investigators say they have yet to establish a motive for the attack but ruled out “road rage.”

“He was not in a vehicle. No, definitely not road rage,” Laurel County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Deputy Gilbert Acciardo told reporters at a news conference Sunday morning. “We haven’t determined (motive) yet. We will at some point. We got to get him first.”

[Previous story, published at 9:56 a.m. ET]

A manhunt is ongoing for a suspect who authorities say shot into nine cars on an interstate south of Lexington, Kentucky, on Saturday – leaving five people seriously injured, closing the interstate for hours and putting a rural community on edge.

Vehicles were shot into on the north and southbound lanes of Interstate 75 and five people were struck by gunfire around 5:30 p.m. Saturday, the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office said. The victims are in stable condition, sheriff’s department spokesperson Gilbert Acciardo told CNN.

People in the area are urged to stay inside and remain vigilant as the search continues for Joseph A. Couch, a person of interest in the shooting, the London Police Department said. He is described as a White man, roughly 5 foot, 10 inches, weighing about 154 pounds, according to police. Couch is considered “armed and dangerous,” authorities said.

“Please remain vigilant and call 911 if you see the individual in question,” London Mayor Randall Weddle wrote on Facebook early Sunday morning.

“DO NOT ATTEMPT TO APPROACH,” the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office warned.

The search coordinated by the sheriff’s office resumed Sunday morning with the help of multiple law enforcement agencies and a drone with infrared heat-sensing technology, police said.

Authorities knew the general area where the suspect was, the mayor said Sunday, and were searching in “rugged terrain and a lot of tree lines,” which may hamper their search efforts.

It’s unclear what motivated the gunfire.

The interstate was shut down for hours Saturday “because of the danger to passing cars in the area of the shootings,” the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office said. The FBI, US Marshal service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are all assisting in the search, according to the sheriff’s office.

“If you think you hear something outside of your home, please do not go outside shooting,” Weddle said. “Our officers could be in that area or first responders. Call 911.”

The gun violence injected chaos into the Saturday commute just days after a mass shooting left four people dead and nine others hospitalized at a high school in Winder, Georgia — and less than a week after a half-dozen people driving on an interstate in the Seattle area were injured by a spree shooter.

“I am receiving initial reports from the Kentucky State Police and our Office of Homeland Security — together we are actively monitoring the situation and offering support in any way possible,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said in a statement. “Please pray for everyone involved.”

Driver recounts harrowing ordeal

One woman who was driving on Interstate 75 with a friend from Rochester, New York, to Knoxville, Tennessee, gave harrowing details about the shooting in an interview with CNN.

When they reached London they heard a “loud noise,” Christina DiNoto said.

“We were just driving along, and all of a sudden, it was like a rock went through my back window, and it hurt my ear,” DiNoto said. “And we looked at each other and we were like,

‘Was that a gunshot?’ And then we’re like, ‘No, that wasn’t a gunshot.’”

DiNoto said she noticed a truck driving next to her car slowed down and pulled off to the shoulder of the interstate, so she initially thought they had a tire blowout. She said they saw several police cars drive by at a high speed and “so many” tires on the side of the interstate.

It wasn’t until roughly an hour and a half later DiNoto and her friend learned about the shooting. When they arrived at a friend’s house, they noticed what appeared to be paint scrapes on the back of her car.

“My hands are still shaking,” said DiNoto, who added she feels incredibly lucky.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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CNN’s Sarah Dewberry, Sara Smart and Emma Tucker contributed to this report.