Two major highway shootings in Seattle and Kentucky A string of incidents this month – which have triggered a manhunt – have highlighted a rise in such attacks and the dangers faced by drivers on the roads.
Joseph Couch, 32, allegedly injured five people in a shooting spree on Interstate 75 in Kentucky on Sept. 7.
On September 2, 44-year-old California resident Eric Perkins allegedly committed the shooting Seattle’s I-5Six people were injured in the shootings in three counties and at least 10 vehicles were hit by bullets, Washington State Patrol Public Information Officer Christopher Loftis told Fox News Digital.
Authorities are offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of fugitive Joseph Couch. (US Marshals Service)
Perkins was arrested the next day and charged with five counts of assault with a gun. According to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital, he admitted to the shooting to investigators and said he had recently lost his home and was at Tacoma General Hospital the day before he opened fire on unsuspecting drivers in an attempt to get help.
Six hours before the shooting, Perkins told police he thought people were “coming after him.” He later told police his friend had given him a gun for his own protection.
Seattle I-5 shooting suspect Eric Perkins is seen with his hands up after being arrested by the Washington State Patrol. (Fox 13)
The firing incident came after Fox News Digital reported earlier this year Highway shootings are on the rise in counties in Washington state, California, Wisconsin, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Florida.
Between 2014 and 2023, the number of people shot in road rage incidents nationwide increased by more than 400%, from 92 to 481, according to data from the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive.
Kentucky police identify man in search after ‘multiple’ people shot on highway
This image released by the Mount Vernon Fire Department shows stopped traffic during an active shootout on Interstate 75, north of London, Kentucky, on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (Camden Mink/Mount Vernon Fire Department via AP)
Loftis told Fox News Digital that Washington’s King County has seen a rise in highway shootings. This year alone, the county has seen 37 victims of such incidents and 59 statewide. Those numbers are on par with highway shootings in 2023, but he said there will only be 33 victims of such shootings statewide in 2022, 14 of which will be in King County.
In 2024, there were 817 reports of weapons on freeways or roads across the state and 631 reports of hearing gunfire while driving.
Loftis said about a quarter to a third of these incidents are gang-related. He said a large portion are committed by aggressive drivers.
“It’s difficult to investigate,” Loftis said. “Traffic keeps moving – by the time our troopers get there, several minutes have passed and traffic has moved on.”
Gene Petrino, a retired SWAT commander with more than three decades of experience in law enforcement Fort Lauderdale, Florida, He spoke about the difficulty of investigating a “moving crime scene”.
Kentucky police resume search for gunman in I-75 shooting
“Part of the problem Law enforcement “Our perspective is you’re looking at different jurisdictions because these freeways or highways are going through different cities, counties,” he said. “It’s a dynamic environment. You’re not going to have a lot of witnesses because they’re busy driving.”
Both Petrino and Loftis said drivers often report shootings only after they arrive at their destination.
“I’m sure it’s happened to you – you hear something while you’re driving, you get home and see a small dent and you assume a rock hit your car,” Petrino said. “Sometimes people don’t call until they get home and see a bullet hole in their car. That’s why you have a hard time gathering evidence.”
Click here to get the Fox News app
Some states have managed to control this problem by increasing enforcement.
Illinois saw a surge in shootings on expressways in 2021. In response, police in the state stepped up their enforcement, and said they had begun using automated license plate readers and other measures to reduce violence.
According to the state dashboard that tracks highway shootings, incidents will drop from 189 in 2022 to 129 in 2023. So far this year, the state has seen 69 incidents.
