Nervous residents living near where a gunman opened fire on a Kentucky highway are taking precautions they never imagined would be necessary in their rural region as search crews combed the woods Tuesday in hopes of finding the suspect.

Brandi Campbell said her family has been going to bed early and keeping the lights out since five people were injured in Saturday’s attack on Interstate 75 near London, a town of about 8,000 people about 75 miles (120 kilometers) south of Lexington.

“We go home and the lights go out, and we go upstairs and our doors stay locked,” she said.

Several school districts in the region remained closed Tuesday, while some others switched to remote learning as the search for 32-year-old Joseph Couch continued into its fourth day.

Search crews were combing a vast area of ​​rugged and hilly terrain near the shooting north of London. There was no evidence he had sneaked away, said Master Trooper Scottie Pennington, a spokesman for the London police station.

The question was asked whether there was any evidence to suggest that Couch was dead or alive.

“Some people wonder, ‘What if he’s not alive?'” Pennington told reporters. “Well, we’re going to stay in the woods until we find him. That’s our job. Whether he’s dead or alive, it’s our job to try to find him.”

If Couch died, “nature will take care of itself” and buzzards may gather in the sky, which could be a sign to search parties, Pennington said.

Less than 30 minutes before he shot at 12 vehicles and injured five people, Couch sent a text message vowing to “kill a lot of people,” authorities allege in an arrest warrant.

“I’m going to kill a lot of people. Well, I’m going to try,” Couch wrote in the text message, according to the affidavit obtained by The Associated Press. In another text message, Couch wrote, “I’m going to kill myself after this,” the affidavit states.

The affidavit does not describe the relationship between Couch and the woman who received the text messages, but the Lexington Herald-Leader identified her as his ex-wife.

The Laurel County Sheriff’s Office affidavit states that before authorities received the first report of the shooting around 5:30 p.m. Saturday, a dispatcher in Laurel County received a call from the woman telling them that Couch had sent her the text message at 5:03 p.m.

In response to that call, police initiated a tracker on Couch’s cellphone, but the location was not transmitted until 6:53 p.m., the affidavit states, nearly 90 minutes after the highway shooting.

As search teams continued their systematic work, supported by additional helicopters, authorities hoped that a lack of essential items might persuade Couch to surrender if he was still hiding in the forest.

“I hope he doesn’t have water,” Pennington said. “I hope he doesn’t have food. And I hope he’s exhausted and will eventually get out of the woods on foot.”

On Sunday, law enforcement officers searched an area near where Couch’s vehicle was found, overlooking I-75. There they found a green army-style duffel bag, ammunition and numerous shell casings, the affidavit states. A short distance away, they found a Colt AR-15 rifle with a sight mounted on the weapon and several extra magazines. The duffel bag had “Couch” handwritten on it in black marker.

Couch fired 20 to 30 shots in the attack Saturday, hitting 12 vehicles on the highway, investigators said.

Pennington said police officers from across the state have come to help with the search. He described the extensive search area as “a walk through the jungle,” and machetes were needed to cut through the undergrowth.

Authorities said they would continue the pursuit in the densely wooded area as residents were concerned about where the shooter might appear next.

Donna Hess, who lives 10 miles from the shooting scene, said she hasn’t let her children play outside since the shooting.

“I’m just afraid to go to the door when someone knocks,” she said.

Pennington said authorities are “working hard” to find Couch and put an end to this fear.

“It’s hard when people are so scared right now that there’s probably someone out there,” he said.