Australia Porepunkah shooting live: Two officers dead and search underway for gunman ‘accompanied by children’ – UK Times

The gunman is still at large and is believed to be accompanied by several family members, including children, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Police confirmed: “A significant search is actively underway to locate the man.”

Authorities have urged residents of Porepunkah to stay indoors and strongly advised the public to avoid the area while the operation continues.

Emergency services continue to monitor the situation closely, emphasising that the incident remains active and potentially dangerous.

Students at Porepunkah Primary School will be allowed to go home following an earlier lockdown, its principal Jill Gillies told broadcaster 3AW radio.

Students living locally can be picked up by family members, she said, while those from more distant areas will remain inside the school for now.

Following the fatal shooting of two officers in Porepunkah, the school had been put under lockdown.

The shooter is still on the run, and police have deployed a heavy presence in the region, urging locals to avoid the area.

A local business owner told ABC News that he heard at least fifteen police cars passing through the area around midday, following the reports of a shooting.

Emily, from the Mount Buffalo Caravan Park on Porepunkah’s outskirts, said residents were instructed to lock their cars, stay indoors, and “bunker down” at the same time.

“No one’s allowed to leave,” she said.

“There are helicopters. It’s pretty intense.”

Two police officers have been killed and another injured during a warrant operation at a rural property in Porepunkah, north-east Victoria.

The shooter reportedly identifies as a “sovereign citizen” and remains at large.

Police have deployed a large presence, including a helicopter and an armoured vehicle.

Council buildings in Alpine Shire are closed, and the local primary school is in lockdown.

Authorities have warned that the area remains subject to an “active and ongoing incident” and have advised the public to stay away.

The Australian Federal Police Association – a union for federal officers – issued a statement offering “its deepest thoughts to the officers, families, and colleagues of Victoria Police affected by today’s incident”.

In a statement, it said: “Reports confirm that one officer has been wounded, and two others are deceased after police executed a warrant at a rural property.”

AFPA President Alex Caruana said: “Our members across the country are thinking of Victoria Police and their families today. 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.”

Authorities are urging people to stay away from the area, describing it as an “active and ongoing incident which may present a significant risk to members of the public”

Porepunkah, a small town in north-east Victoria, has 1,024 residents according to the latest census.

Nestled in the Buckland Valley, around 300 km from Melbourne, it is known for its rural charm and proximity to the Victorian Alps.

Gun violence is rare in Australia, which has strict firearm laws.

Alpine Shire Council Mayor Sarah Nicholas has confirmed on social media that two police officers have died.

“Today has been a day of deep sorrow and shock for our community… We are grieving together,” she said.

“We hold our police in the highest regard. They serve with courage, compassion, and dedication, and their loss is felt profoundly across our region,” she said.

Police say it is still an “active” incident and have urged locals to stay away from the area.

The Porepunkah airfield has been temporarily closed as authorities respond to the ongoing incident in the alpine area.

Situated two nautical miles south of Porepunkah in the Buckland Valley, the site remains accessible to police and emergency services, according to the ABC.

Meanwhile, Alpine Shire council buildings have been closed, and the local primary school has been placed in lockdown.

Police say the shooter identifies as a “sovereign citizen”.

Members of this movement reject government authority and use pseudo-legal theories – legal-sounding ideas with no basis in real law – to target government institutions.

The shooter is still at large.

Police have deployed a large presence, including a helicopter and an armoured vehicle, to secure the scene of the shooting in rural Porepunkah, about 300 kilometres from Melbourne.

The injured police officer is in stable condition, the authorities said on Tuesday.

Ambulance Victoria spokesperson said in a statement: “Ambulance Victoria is on scene, paramedics have treated one person for serious lower body injuries and transported them by air ambulance in a stable condition.”

Two police officers are reportedly dead following a shooting at a rural property in Porepunkah, about 300 km north-east of Melbourne.

The third officer was injured.

The officers were serving a warrant linked to historical sex offences when the shooting occurred, according to ABC News.

The outlet reported that firearms were taken from the deceased officers.