CNN
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According to the sheriff’s office, a manhunt is underway for a suspect after several people were shot Saturday near Interstate 75 in a rural area of Laurel County, Kentucky, south of Lexington.
“I-75 is closed at mile marker/exit 49 and US 25 nine miles north of London due to a shooting,” the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office said in a post on Facebook. “Numerous people were shot near I-75.”
Kentucky State Police Trooper Scottie Pennington said on social media that the suspect “has not been caught yet. We are urging people to stay indoors.” Police will “provide as much information as is available,” he added.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Louisville said in a statement that its officers responded and assisted Kentucky State Police and local authorities with a “critical incident” near Interstate 75.
The Kentucky Department of Transportation said the interstate was closed from Exit 41 to Exit 59 both northbound and southbound because police reported a shooting. “Please avoid the area. Seek alternate routes,” the statement said.
In a post on X, Governor Andy Beshear wrote: “Kentucky, we are aware of a shooting on I-75 in Laurel County. Police have closed the interstate at exit 49 in both directions. Please avoid the area. We will provide more details as they become available.”
The governor said he had heard “initial reports” from state police and the state Department of Homeland Security.
“Together, we are actively monitoring the situation and offering support in any way we can. Please pray for everyone involved,” he said in another statement on X.
London, Kentucky, is located about 80 miles south of Lexington.
Matt Downing told CNN he was stuck on the interstate for over an hour after police stopped traffic due to the shooting. Downing was traveling north on I-75 when a police car began pulling out in all lanes to stop traffic, he said.
A video obtained by CNN shows a police car driving through traffic at high speed.
Downing estimates that at least 30 police cars drove past him while he was stopped on the highway. Downing says that starting at 7:30 p.m., authorities began slowly redirecting traffic in the opposite direction.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
CNN’s Sara Smart contributed to this report.
