3 Killed and 1 Seriously Injured After Gunman Opens Fire in Small Town

Three people were killed and another was seriously injured in a shooting that rocked a small rural town in Australia, sparking a massive police search and urgent warnings for residents to stay indoors.

Emergency services were called to reports of a shooting in Lake Cargelligo — more than 300 miles west of Sydney — at around 4:40 p.m. local time on Thursday, Jan. 22, according to the New South Wales Police.

Police confirmed that two women and one man were pronounced dead at the scene. A fourth victim, a man, was taken to the hospital in serious but stable condition. Authorities established multiple crime scenes as investigators worked to piece together what happened.

According to reporting from The Sydney Morning Herald, the violence is being treated as a suspected domestic violence incident. Investigators believe the gunman first opened fire at one home, killing a woman believed to be his former partner and a man. He then allegedly traveled to a second residence, where he shot two other people known to him, killing a woman and seriously wounding a man.

Local outlets including Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that the suspected shooter remained at large hours after the attack.

“At this stage police have identified an offender who is still at large,” Western Region Command Assistant Commissioner Andy Holland said in a statement carried by 7News. “We have a large search in the area currently underway and we are requesting that people remain indoors.”

Police urged residents to avoid the area entirely as officers flooded the region. “There should be people staying inside right now,” a police spokesperson told ABC. “We will be throwing everything at it that is available.”

The deadly incident unfolded on the same day Australia began a national day of mourning for the victims of a recent mass shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach. On Dec. 14, gunmen opened fire during a Hanukkah event, killing 15 people and injuring 41 others, including four children.

Suspect Naveed Akram, 24, was later charged with 15 counts of murder. A second suspected gunman, his father Sajid Akram, 50, was shot and killed by police at the scene, according to previous reporting by the BBC.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese marked the national day of mourning with a message on X, honoring the victims and calling for unity.

“We honour the 15 innocent lives taken in the Bondi Beach terrorist attack and stand with their families, loved ones and the Bondi Chabad community,” Albanese wrote. “We will never let hate win.”

He encouraged Australians to light a candle, observe a moment of silence at 7:01 p.m., and stand together in remembrance, noting that flags were flying at half-mast across the country.

In the aftermath of the Bondi Beach attack, Australia’s parliament voted on Jan. 20 to advance gun law reforms, including a national gun buyback program and stricter firearm license checks, according to the BBC.