Police in Laurel County in Kentucky state of the United States have launched a manhunt after a gunman opened fire injuring multiple people before going on the run. He opened fire on an interstate highway (I-75). The local police have said that the gunman, 32-year-old Joseph A. Couch is to be considered 'armed and dangerous' and have clearly warned people to not approach in case they come across him and call the police instead. The police department and other authorities in the area have taken to social media to inform and warn people.
The shooting took place on Saturday afternoon (September 7) as per local time and at the time of publishing of this story the gunman was still on the run. CNN has reported that five people have been injured in the shooting. They were given medical treatment.
The latest incident has again brought to the fore the issue of easy availability of arms and ammunition in the US. The right to bear arms has been enshrined in the US constitution but easy availability has meant that there are more guns in the US than there are people. The country sees highest number of such shootouts in the world almost every year.
Gun lobby in the US is politically influential. Any move to strengthen laws to restrict gun availability and its use by civilians is met with enormous political opposition, particularly from the Republican Party and stronger legislations do not get passed in the US Congress.
The latest shootout in Kentucky has occurred just days after another one in the state of Georgia. Four people were killed in Georgia shootout and nine others were injured. Just days before that, six people driving in Seattle were injured by a spree shooter.
