On Wednesday, September 18, police announced they had found a body believed to be that of Joseph Couch, the fugitive suspected of shooting and injuring five people on September 7 along a Kentucky highway. This shooting led to a manhunt through challenging, wooded terrain.

Couch, 32, a former US Army reservist, allegedly fired at unsuspecting drivers with a legally purchased AR-style semiautomatic rifle and 1,000 rounds of ammunition. Authorities have not yet disclosed the shooter’s motive, though a text message Couch sent to his ex-wife suggested he planned to kill himself after attacking strangers.

Kentucky State Police Commissioner Phillip Burnett reported that state troopers, accompanied by a couple who had been searching for Couch, discovered an unidentified body in a wooded area. Personal items found at the scene and an unspecified weapon indicated that the body likely belongs to Couch. The body will be sent to Frankfort for official identification.

Before the shooting, Couch's ex-wife had alerted police about threatening texts he sent, including one saying he planned to kill many people and another stating he would take his own life afterward.

The couple who found the body, Fred and Sheila McCoy, are eligible for a $25,000 reward. They were led to the location by a large number of vultures and captured video footage of the scene, which was interrupted by a warning about it being a crime scene.

In the aftermath of the shooting, law enforcement agencies had conducted an extensive search of the Daniel Boone National Forest using helicopters, drones, dogs, and special teams. The shooting, which occurred on Interstate 75 near London, Kentucky, resulted in five injuries and damage to at least 12 vehicles. Police recovered the AR rifle, Couch’s car, and a cellphone with the battery removed near the scene.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Laurel County Sheriff's Office via Reuters file