Perpetrator on the run

Gunman fired on US highway: 7 injured

The police cordoned off the highway and chased the fleeing gunman (small picture).(Bild: Krone KREATIV/APA/AFP/Laurel County Sheriff‘s Office, APA/Mount Vernon Fire Department)

Horrific scenes unfolded in the US state of Kentucky on Saturday. A gunman opened fire with a rifle and shot at moving cars on highway I-75 from a forest.

"The suspect has not yet been apprehended and we are urging people to stay home," Scottie Pennington of the Kentucky State Police quickly wrote on Facebook. "Please avoid I-75 near exit 49 until further notice! Use alternate routes and stay away from this area," Randall Weddle, mayor of the small US town of London, also wrote on social media.

The police closed off the highway and chased the fleeing shooter (small picture).(Bild: Krone KREATIV/APA/AFP/Laurel County Sheriff‘s Office, APA/Mount Vernon Fire Department)

Shooter quickly identified
The suspected shooter fled after the shooting, but was quickly identified. According to the authorities, he is a 32-year-old local man who is classified as "armed and dangerous". Seven car occupants were injured in the shooting.