Specialist police officers have been deployed to a remote NSW town by the Defence Force in search for a gunman, after three people were found shot dead.
A 32-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman were found dead in a vehicle in Bokhara Street, Lake Cargelligo, 130 kilometres north of Griffith, when police responded to reports of gunfire on Thursday afternoon.
Police sources have confirmed that the woman was around seven months pregnant.
Not long after, police responded to a second report of shots on Walker Street, where another male, 19, and female, 50, were wounded.
The 50-year-old woman sadly passed away, while the man was taken to hospital in a serious but stable condition.
Police are searching for a 37-year-old man, Julian Ingram, who is also known as Julian Pierpoint, in connection with the shootings. The suspected gunman is reportedly a council gardener, who works as a weeds officer.
Ingram was last seen driving a Ford Ranger utility with NSW registration DM-07-GZ. He is described as 165cm-170cm tall, of medium build, with short dark hair and brown eyes.
Assistant Commissioner of the Western Region Command, Andrew Holland, told ABC Western Plains that the suspect was known to police.
“We believe that all the parties are known to each other, and we are treating it as a domestic violence-related incident at this time,” he said.
“He has come under our attention for apprehended domestic violence issues,” he added.
Court files reveal that there is currently an apprehended violence order (AVO) on Julian Ingram for several domestic violence-related offences.
He was granted bail by NSW Police in November after he was charged with stalking and intimidation with intent to cause physical fear or harm, common assault, and property damage worth less than $2,000. He was due to face court early next month.
Under his bail conditions, the 37-year-old was required to report to Lake Cargelligo police station once a day.
Assistant Commissioner Holland confirmed that Ingram did not have a NSW firearms licence.
“[But] he has access to firearms, which are unknown, and that will form part of the investigation as well,” he said.
A large-scale search is underway, with police helicopters scanning the area, and tactical officers as well as Defence Force personnel flown in.
One local told the ABC that children who were swimming at the local pool at the time had witnessed the shootings.
Residents have been advised to stay indoors and “stay away from windows”.
“We have a direction where he was seen to leave, but obviously, overnight, we haven’t been able to locate him or the vehicle, and the search has been spread out across small villages in the local area,” Assistant Commissioner Holland said.
“If [locals] see someone suspicious, obviously the first thing to do is call Triple Zero (000), make sure you are secure in your home, stay away from windows where possible.
“There are concerns this offender may be armed.”
Lachlan Shire Mayor John Metcalf said the deaths were a “crying shame” in the tight-knit community, with a population of less than 1,500 people.
“It’s a small country town, and it is about the last thing you would expect to happen in a town that size,” he said.
Assistant Commissioner Holland added that locals would be supported by police and we’ll be caring for their welfare in the future”.
“Any death in a small country town is confronting, but again, a scene where you have people shot by firearms is obviously going to make people very, very tense and very concerned,” he said.
Acting Police Minister Paul Scully said it was important that residents continue to follow police directions in the wake of this tragedy.
“The events over the last 24 hours at Lake Cargelligo are incredibly distressing and tragic,” he said.
“My thoughts are with the families and the community that have been affected.”
Images: NSW Police/ ABC News
