Armed police descend on Pinjarra home in search for gunman
Updated ,first published
Heavily armed police searching for a gunman in Pinjarra focused their attention on a house in Teague Street; tactical response officers speak to someone inside the property from behind a riot shield.
Helicopter footage of the incident, which locked down parts of the town 85 kilometers south of Perth, had previously shown residents of the house being escorted along the road.
This comes after WA Police issued a warning for people to avoid the area at 11.45am.
“Significant police resources are being deployed to the area,” a spokesman said.
“Everyone in the area is asked to comply with police instructions.”
Mandurah District Acting Superintendent Darren Hart said police were first alerted to a man acting suspiciously at a house in Pollard Street at 9.30am, before it was reported the same man was seen on CCTV holding a long-armed firearm in a garden at 10.10am.
“The police are investigating a report that a bullet may have been fired at that house. There was no one at the house at the time and no injuries were reported to the police,” he said.
“Public people in the Pinjarra region are urged to be aware of their surroundings and to report any relevant information to police.
“If the man is seen, members of the public should stay indoors, hide from view and call police immediately at ground zero.”
Police are looking for a local 18-year-old man who does not have a registered firearm, Hart said.
“We talked to a few close people. [the teenager] and others involved in the investigation, and we are receiving some assistance from family members and friends of individuals involved in the investigation,” Hart said.
“I think the threat is minimal… these are not a targeted series of events, they appear to be random.”
Residents of a nearby retirement village were told to stay inside and lock their doors, while residents of a nearby caravan park said they had not been notified of any lockdown or possible evacuation.
Search marks second major gunman hunt in a week
The incident was the second firearms-related police operation carried out by Kenneth Giles in the past week. He remains at large after allegedly shooting a womanbelieved to be his partner, was in his possession on Wednesday.
The incident occurred in Mullewa, a farming town in the state’s Midwestern region.
The veteran forester has so far eluded key police resources assigned to find him.
On Monday, Acting Inspector Ben Huggett made a fresh request for Giles to surrender, assuring Giles that only one person had been injured in the incident.
“I ask you to contact the police so we can resolve this situation,” he said.
“This went on long enough, you must be uncomfortable there, you must be worried.”
Huggett said Monday that police believe Giles remains in the Midwest area.
More to come.
