LONDON, Ky. — Community members in Laurel County and surrounding areas have been shocked by the shooting that took place Saturday evening on I-75, where five people were shot and injured.

The night of the shooting, Sept. 7, London resident Gavin Sainte received an alarming phone call.

“I was just chilling at home,” Sainte said. “I was just kind of doing my own thing, just kind of sitting at home and then all of a sudden, I get a phone call from one of my coworkers.”

The call was to alert him about the shooting.

“I pick up the phone, ‘There is an active shooter in the area,'" he said. "I’m just like, that’s scary because I have never… I don’t think we’ve ever dealt with that before." 

Knox County resident Phillip Smith said his daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren were stuck on the highway following the shooting.

“They were terrified for a long time, and my daughter, son-in-law and two grandkids were in the car and not knowing what was going to be happening,” Smith said. “They were terrified, but thank God they were able to get out of there unharmed and get home safe last night.”

London Mayor Randall Weddle has been posting on Facebook since Saturday night to keep community members updated.

“We thank everybody for their prayers and their support and throughout the community, thank you as well and just keep our first responders in your prayers,” Weddle said on Facebook Live.

Sainte has concerns over his safety when walking around the area since the suspect has yet to be apprehended.

“It’s so worrying that they’re still at large at this very moment,” Sainte said. “Who knows where they could be?”

Kentuckians are unified in their support of the five people who were shot.

“We just pray for their families and pray for them and hopefully they’ll be O.K. through it,” Smith said.

Deputy Gilbert Acciardo, a spokesperson Laurel County Sheriff’s Office, said some victims sustained “very serious” injuries.