Lake Cargelligo: A large-scale manhunt is under way for a man accused of murdering three people, including a pregnant woman, and injuring a fourth person in central west NSW.
Julian Ingram, 37, is accused of shooting and killing a woman, 25, believed to be his former partner, and a man, 32, in a car in Lake Cargelligo in the NSW Central West on Thursday afternoon.
He is then alleged to have travelled to a home in the town, where he shot two other people known to him, killing a woman, 50, and seriously injuring a man, 19, who was shot in the driveway.
A warrant was issued for his arrest on Friday.
The teenager was taken to hospital in a serious but stable condition.
Ingram, also known as Pierpoint, is described as being Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander appearance, about 165cm-170cm tall, of a medium build with short dark hair and brown eyes.
He was last seen driving a Ford Ranger utility with NSW registration DM-07-GZ with council signage, a metal tray back, high visibility markings on the side and an emergency light bar on the roof.
The public are warned not approach him but to call Triple Zero if he is spotted.
Several evidence markers were laid out on Bokhara Street, beside spent shotgun shells on Friday morning.
Fragments of glass could be seen on the street near a black hatchback with bullet holes in its windscreen.
Forensic investigators examined the bodies of the 25-year-old woman and 32-year-old man.
Police have also set up a website appealing for footage of the area to be submitted as they search for Ingram.
NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Andy Holland said on Thursday night a large-scale search was under way.
“Any death in a small country town is confronting, but a scene where you have people shot by firearms is obviously going to make people very, very tense and very concerned,” Holland said.
Police resources from neighbouring districts had been dispatched to the town. Defence Force helicopters flew in heavily armed tactical police, negotiators and homicide investigators overnight.
The gunman and the victims were local to the area, Holland said.
Holland urged Lake Cargelligo residents to stay indoors and away from windows and report any suspicious behaviour, including suspicious movement in their backyards or suspicious vehicles, to police.
“It’s a tragedy that’s taken place in a very small country town, and it will have a big effect on the community,” Holland said.
Independent MP and the member for Barwon, Roy Butler, said the situation was “horrific” for the “small and close” community.
“The tragic circumstances will affect everyone in town and across NSW and Australia. We don’t have much detail, but it seems in devastating news, three people are dead, one, sadly a pregnant woman,” Butler said.
“I am in close contact with police and other members of the community.”
Lake Cargelligo is a small town west of Forbes and north of Griffith. The town has a population of about 1400, according to the 2021 census.
Jack Gramenz is a breaking news reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.