Police in Australia are searching for a gunman who shot dead two officers and wounded another at a rural property in the southeastern state of Victoria, authorities have said.
The shooting occurred shortly after 10:30am on Tuesday as 10 police officers were attending the property in Porepunkah, about 300km (186 miles) northeast of Melbourne, Victoria police said in a statement.
Police urged the public in and around Porepunkah to remain indoors until further notice, and asked people not to travel to the area.
“The exact circumstances surrounding the incident are still being determined and it remains an active and ongoing situation,” Victoria police said.
“It’s believed the offender has since left the property and at this time his whereabouts are unknown. A significant search is actively underway to locate the man.”
Local media, which named the suspect as Dezi Freeman, reported that the police officers had travelled to the property to execute a warrant relating to alleged historical sex offences.
Alex Caruana, president of the Australian Federal Police Association, expressed condolences to the families of the deceased officers.
“Policing is dangerous and unpredictable work, and what has happened in Porepunkah is a reminder of the risks officers face every day in keeping the community safe,” Caruana said in a statement.
Gun deaths are relatively rare in Australia, which introduced tough restrictions on firearms in response to the 1996 Port Arthur mass shooting, which killed 35 people and injured 23 others.
The last time an Australian police officer was shot dead in the line of duty was November 2023, when Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig was killed while responding to a call at a property in South Australia, according to the National Police Memorial.
