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lite.cnn.com - on gopher - inofficial |
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ARTICLE VIEW: |
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Australian police hunt gunman who shot dead two officers in rural town |
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By Reuters |
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Updated: |
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11:14 AM EDT, Tue August 26, 2025 |
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Source: Reuters |
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A manhunt is underway in southern for a heavily armed gunman who police |
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said shot dead two officers and wounded another on Tuesday as they |
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tried to serve a warrant at a rural property in the state of Victoria. |
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Police said the suspect fired on a team of 10 officers in Porepunkah, |
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about 300 kilometers (186 miles) northeast of the city of Melbourne, at |
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around 10.30 a.m. local time (8.30 p.m. Monday ET). |
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In a news conference on Tuesday evening, Victoria Police Chief |
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Commissioner Mike Bush confirmed a 59-year-old detective, and a |
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35-year-old senior constable had been fatally shot, and another |
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detective was seriously injured and being treated in hospital. |
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He told reporters the suspect was heavily armed and dangerous, and |
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urged the local community to stay indoors as “hundreds of police |
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resources” conducted ground and air searches in the area. |
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“The suspect for this horrific event is still at large,” Bush told |
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reporters. “We have deployed every specialist resource into this area |
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to locate him.” |
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“Our priority is to arrest him to ensure that he’s held to account |
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for the actions, but also very much to bring safety and security to |
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this community.” |
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Local media outlet The Age said the officers were serving a warrant for |
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historical sex abuse allegations when they were ambushed by the gunman, |
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who then fled with several family members, including children. |
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Bush said the suspect had escaped the property on foot alone, and that |
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it was unclear where his wife and two children were. |
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The Australian Broadcasting Corporation also reported that police |
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believed the shooter was a “sovereign citizen.” Sovereign citizens |
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believe the government is illegitimate. |
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The town of Porepunkah is home to 1,000 residents and is located at the |
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base of Australia’s alpine ranges. |
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“Today has been a day of deep sorrow and shock for our community,” |
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Mayor Sarah Nicholas said in a statement. |
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The local council’s facilities across the town, including libraries, |
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information centers and depots, would remain closed until further |
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notice, Nicholas added. |
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Porepunkah Primary School principal Jill Gillies told ABC Radio |
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Melbourne that the school was forced to lock down from 11.30 a.m. local |
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time (9.30 p.m. Monday ET). ABC has since reported that the lockdown |
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had been lifted. |
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The local airfield also closed due to the ongoing emergency response. |
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Police Association Victoria Chief Executive Wayne Gatt said officers |
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across the country were shocked by the incident, a rare occurrence in |
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Australia. |
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“There’s a shocking and eerie feeling of dread and indeed a sense |
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of not knowing what to do,” he said. “Our members today paid the |
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ultimate price for protecting the community.” |
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