Police in New South Wales are continuing a major search for Julian Ingram, who authorities say is linked to a Lake Cargelligo shooting that left three people dead and a fourth seriously injured. The manhunt has involved about 100 police, with specialist teams and support from the Australian Defence Force, as officers search the town and surrounding areas for a suspect police have warned may be armed and dangerous.
The shooting unfolded on Thursday afternoon in the Central West town of Lake Cargelligo, where police say multiple people were shot at two locations. New South Wales Police have urged residents not to approach the suspect and to report information that could help locate him.
Search continues across the region
ABC News reported the search entered a third day, with about 100 officers deployed around Lake Cargelligo and nearby areas. Assistant Commissioner Andrew Holland said police had people deployed to “nearly every corner” of the town and described the suspect as “armed and dangerous.” Holland also said the most recent sightings were on a road leading out of Lake Cargelligo, which he said kept public safety concerns high.
Several outlets reported that police and army personnel were involved in the search effort. The Cowra Guardian said specialist police were searching across the Central West and beyond, and that PolAir and Defence Force resources helped fly in specialist personnel including tactical officers, negotiators, and homicide investigators. 1News reported a helicopter was seen flying low over farmland between Lake Cargelligo and Condobolin on Friday afternoon.
Authorities also used public alerts during the operation, with ABC reporting police sent a geo-targeted text message to the town advising residents to stay indoors or avoid the area. A police representative told ABC, “There should be individuals staying indoors at this moment. We will be utilizing all available resources to address the situation.”
What police say happened
Police were called to Bokhara Street at about 4:30pm after reports of a shooting, according to the Cowra Guardian. Officers found a 25-year-old woman and a 32-year-old man in a vehicle with gunshot wounds, and police said both died at the scene. Police later responded to Walker Street after reports of a further shooting, where a 50-year-old woman and a 19-year-old man were reportedly shot in a driveway, and the woman died at the scene.
Multiple sources said the 19-year-old man was taken to hospital in serious but stable condition. Reuters reported the three people killed were two women and a man, and police described the event as a domestic violence-related incident. Xinhua also described the shooting as domestic violence-related and said the incident occurred around 4:20pm local time.
ABC reported authorities found two bodies inside a vehicle on Bokhara Street, and that police responding to reports of gunfire on Walker Street found another man and woman with gunshot injuries. ABC also reported shops in Lake Cargelligo were closed as the search continued.
Who police are searching for
Police have identified the suspect as Julian Ingram, aged 37, who is also known as Julian Pierpont. The Cowra Guardian said he is wanted on an outstanding warrant for murder and described him as being of Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander appearance, about 165cm–170cm tall, with a medium build, short dark hair, and brown eyes. ABC reported Ingram was known to both police and the victims and that authorities are treating the incident as domestic violence-related.
ABC reported Ingram was last seen driving a Ford Ranger utility with New South Wales registration DM-07-GZ, marked with council insignia and fitted with a metal tray, and that the vehicle did not have GPS tracking. ABC also said the suspect was a council gardener and that he was on bail for previous domestic violence charges, with a court appearance scheduled for next month. Reuters similarly reported the suspected perpetrator did not have a firearms licence and was on bail for domestic violence offences at the time of the attack.
Holland told Reuters police were not sure how the assailant obtained a weapon and said that would form part of the investigation. ABC also reported Holland said Ingram did not have a firearms licence in New South Wales, and investigators would look into how any firearms were obtained.
Community impact and wider context
ABC reported Lake Cargelligo has a population of around 1,500, while Reuters described it as a town with a population exceeding 1,000. 1News reported the town was coming to terms with the loss of three locals, and quoted Federal MP Jamie Chaffey saying the shootings had “rocked” the people of Lake Cargelligo because the town was their safe place. 1News also reported Independent state MP Roy Butler said “serious questions” remained about how a man with a long criminal history and no gun licence could obtain a weapon.
Reuters placed the incident in the context of national gun policy, reporting that last month two gunmen targeted a gathering at Bondi Beach during Hanukkah, killing 15 people, and that lawmakers later passed legislation to enable a national gun buyback and tougher background checks for firearm permits. Reuters also reported New South Wales has rules limiting people to four firearms and requiring licence holders to be members of a shooting club.
