Schools reopened with extra security on Tuesday in the rural Kentucky county where a gunman who remains at large opened fire on an interstate highway , hitting a dozen vehicles and wounding five people.
As authorities continue searching for the shooter, public schools in Laurel County were in session for the first time since the assailant sprayed bullets onto Interstate 75 on Sept. 7. The search for the suspected gunman, 32-year-old Joseph Couch, has focused on a rugged, wooded area near London, a city of about 8,000 people roughly 75 miles (120 kilometers) south of Lexington.
School administrators in Laurel County worked with law enforcement agencies on the district's reopening plan, which provides enhanced security for buses, school campuses and extra-curricular activities.
Police increased patrols along most rural bus routes in the southeastern Kentucky school district, administrators said in a message on the district's website. Parents were urged to keep their children inside, if possible, until the bus arrived. Law enforcement bolstered its presence to monitor each school campus, and patrols were increased for after-school events.
"We appreciate the support, trust and cooperation of our families and the community as we safely return to school," the district said in its message.
