‘Large search’ for gunman after small-town shooting
Police are searching a “large search area” for the attacker who killed three people and injured a fourth in a small town before fleeing in a vehicle.
Residents of Lake Cargelligo, about 550 kilometers west of Sydney, were told to stay indoors and report any suspicious activity following the attack on Thursday afternoon.
Western district police commander Andy Holland told reporters in Dubbo that a man and a woman were killed when bullets were fired at their vehicle on Bokhara Street in Lake Cargelligo at around 4.20pm.
Another woman was shot and killed a short time later on Walker Street in Lake Cargelligo.
The man he was with was also shot and taken to hospital in critical condition.
In total, two women and one man were killed in about half an hour.
Police are now appealing for anyone in the Cargelligo Lake area with mobile phone or dashcam footage, CCTV, photographs, screenshots or other material relating to this incident to upload footage via the link below. SEND EVIDENCE ➡️ https://t.co/B2hXyVcIgoAlso… https://t.co/9c67sbfTN3— NSW Police Force (@nswpolice) January 22, 2026
Like the victims, the identity of the attacker has not yet been revealed.
“At this stage police have identified an offender who is still at large,” Holland said.
“There are concerns that this attacker may have been armed with a firearm… the criminal is currently on the move and we are trying to locate this attacker.
“We are currently conducting an extensive search operation in the area.”
Extra personnel, including tactical operations police, search coordinators and air crews, were brought in from surrounding areas to assist in the search.
“The sight emergency services faced at that time would have been horrific,” Mr Holland said.
An employee of the Commercial Hotel downtown, who asked not to be named, said there was a lot of police activity following a shooting at a house.
“I’m just inside, trying not to be around,” they told AAP.
The manager of a local motel said the town was “a little scary” and he believed more police were heading to the area.
Independent member for Barwon Roy Butler described the situation as “tragic news”.
“This is a terrible situation and it’s still ongoing so we don’t have much information. My thoughts are with the victims and their families,” he said.
“As there have been multiple shootings and the offender has not yet been taken into custody, please stay indoors until recommendations change.”
