LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. (WKYT) - Officials believe the body found in the area where the I-75 mass shooting happened to be Joseph Couch.

According to Kentucky State Police, the body was found near Exit 49.

Officials say officers are still processing the scene and are waiting for a positive identification, but items found at the scene, including a weapon, make them believe the body is Couch.

“We are very confident that tonight brings closure to the search for Joseph Couch. I want to thank all partners for their collaborative effort to bring this to a successful conclusion,” said Commissioner Burnett. “The people of Laurel County can rest much easier now that this manhunt has been concluded.”

Police say on September 7, Joseph Couch opened fire in Laurel County on I-75 near Exit 49. Five people were shot and survived. Authorities have been searching for him since.

We are aware of a YouTube channel that was in the woods livestreaming as the body was found. WKYT’s Jeremy Tombs had the chance to interview that couple. Fred and Shelia McCoy said they’ve been out searching for Joseph Couch for the past six days, and it all started as a “date night” idea:

The McCoys found Couch right after an encounter with two troopers in the woods around 3:30 Wednesday afternoon. The couple will receive a $25,000 reward for their efforts.

The discovery of the body comes a day after Governor Andy Beshear and Kentucky law enforcement leaders announced they were adjusting the deployment of some of the resources involved with the manhunt back into the community.

The manhunt had been stretching local agencies thin. We’re told hundreds of tips had been submitted to law enforcement, and more than 28,000 acres of Daniel Boone National Forest were searched.

This is a developing story.

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