Two mass highway shootings this month in Seattle and Kentucky – one of which led to a manhunt – highlight an increase in such attacks as well as the dangers they pose to drivers on roads. Joseph Couch, 32, is believed to have shot and injured five individuals while opening fire on Interstate 75 in Kentucky on September 7.
On Sept. 2, 44-year-old California resident Eric Perkins allegedly opened fire on Seattle’s I-5 highway, injuring six people across three counties while hitting at least ten vehicles with bullets, according to Christopher Loftis of Washington State Patrol Public Information Office Christopher Loftis told Fox News Digital.
Perkins was charged with five counts of first-degree assault with a firearm the next day and admitted the shooting, according to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital. Perkins informed authorities he had recently lost his housing and was visiting Tacoma General Hospital just the day prior before firing shots at innocent drivers to seek assistance.
Perkins had reported to police earlier that day his belief that people were out to get him and that his friend gave him a gun as protection. This led to an escalation in shooting incidents along highways there. Between 2014 and 2023, the number of road rage incidents nationwide that result in shots fired has skyrocketed from 92 to 481, according to data compiled by the Gun Violence Archive.
Read More About