Police in the US state of Kentucky were searching a remote, heavily wooded area for a suspected gunman who authorities say opened fire on vehicles travelling a rural stretch of Interstate 75 yesterday, shooting and injuring five people.
Police believe the shooter is contained within a rugged, rocky area near the scene on the interstate about nine miles from the city of London in southeastern Kentucky, Deputy Gilbert Acciardo of the Laurel County Sheriff's Office told reporters.
The difficult terrain has complicated the manhunt, which includes a helicopter and a drone with infrared technology.
State police had also planned to devote search dogs to the effort.
"That's probably one of the most remote exits on I-75," Mr Acciardo said. "It's a big task. We want to get him before it gets dark again."
The incident began around 5.30pm (10.30pm Irish time), when officers responded to reports of gunshots at vehicles on the highway.
The shots came from a hillside overlooking the highway, Mr Acciardo said, describing a chaotic scene with bullet-riddled cars pulled onto the shoulder.
Five people were in stable condition despite some serious injuries, including one victim who was shot in the face and another in the arm.
Nine vehicles were struck by bullets in all, according to the sheriff's office. The attack shut down the highway for several hours.
Authorities have identified a person of interest, 32-year-old Joseph Couch, after discovering a car registered to him parked on a service road near the exit. A rifle case was recovered from the vehicle, the sheriff's office said.
An assault-style rifle was also found near the interstate and in the vicinity of the car on Sunday afternoon, authorities said.
Investigators have not determined a motive for the shooting, Mr Acciardo said.
Police have instructed the public to stay away from the search area, warning that Mr Couch should be considered armed and dangerous.
Lobby groups, public clash on gun laws
The shooting took place three days after two students and two teachers were killed, and nine others wounded, at a high school in Winder, Georgia.
A 14-year-old student and his father, suspected of giving his son access to the gun used in the shooting, have been charged.
Gun violence is common in the United States, a country where there are more firearms than people.
Despite polls showing Americans favour more gun restrictions, a powerful gun rights lobby, constitutional protections and a passionate culture around firearm ownership mean that attempts to clamp down on gun rights are always met with stiff political resistance.
A 2022 gun safety package passed by Congress was the most notable in decades, beefing up background checks and supporting states that passed so-called "Red Flag" laws, which allow for the seizure of weapons from people deemed high risk.
Still, advocates say much more needs to be done.
That same year, over 48,000 people died as a result of firearms, according to the surgeon general, which this year issued a landmark advisory declaring gun violence a "public health crisis."
Gun rights and gun violence regularly feature in elections.
Republican candidate Donald Trump, seen by his party as a champion for gun rights, posted on social media that "our hearts are with the victims" of the Georgia shooting.
Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, a onetime prosecutor and attorney general of California and former US senator, called on Congress to "finally" pass an assault weapons ban.
It would be similar to the one President Joe Biden helped write as a senator and get passed into law in 1994. It expired after a decade, without being renewed by Congress.
