Unconfirmed sighting of triple murder suspect Julian Ingram reported in NSW central west | New South Wales

Police say Julian Ingram, suspected of killing three people in remote NSW, was reportedly seen about 70 kilometers north of where the shootings occurred.

The unconfirmed sighting was spotted at Mount Hope in central west NSW in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Ingram, 37, also known as Julian Pierpoint, is suspected of shooting his pregnant ex-partner, her new boyfriend and his aunt to death in Lake Cargelligo on Thursday afternoon before fleeing town.

The reported incident is the first since the shooting and has resulted in tactical police deploying en masse across the wider area with air support and searching local properties.

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NSW deputy commissioner Andrew Holland said some properties in the Mount Hope area were larger than 400,000 hectares; That’s the size of metropolitan Sydney.

Holland confirmed that Ingram, a brushcutter working for the local council, knew of bushcutting camps with food in the area, but the reported sighting was not in that exact area of ​​Mount Hope.

Holland declined to say whether Ingram was seen in a vehicle or on foot.

“There are public witnesses who have identified who they believe the culprit is, and that is a possible view, there is no confirmation that he is the culprit, but obviously we are operating on the fact that it could very well be him,” Holland said Sunday.

“It’s an area he’s been to often before… and he has very good knowledge of the area.

“We think he is on his own at the moment… but we cannot rule out that he has help from local people.”

Ingram’s former partner Sophie Quinn, 25, who was pregnant with a boy, was shot in a car on Bokhara Street at around 4.20pm on Thursday. His partner, John Harris, was also in the car with him and was shot dead.

Police were called to Walker Street on reports of another shooting and found 50-year-old Nerida Quinn and 19-year-old Kaleb Macqueen shot in the driveway. Sophie’s aunt Quinn died at the scene, while Macqueen is in a serious but stable condition.

Ingram was out on bail in connection with domestic violence allegations against Sophie Quinn at the time of the shooting.

Police also released details about how Ingram was last seen driving a white single-cab Ford Ranger.

The last confirmed sighting of Ingram was on Thursday, heading north from Cargelligo Lake towards Mount Hope.

It’s unclear if Ingram moved overnight, as high temperatures in the area are expected to reach the mid-to-high 40s next week, but Holland said it “makes sense.”

Police are still trying to confirm what firearms Ingram had and how he obtained them, Holland said. Police have previously said Ingram never held a NSW firearms licence.

Holland said Sunday that they had not been notified of any threats regarding Ingram from other members of the public, as members of Quinn’s family said they did not feel safe while he was still at large.

“We support the families that are involved in this, we’re going to make sure those people feel safe,” Holland said.

“We know that Mr. Ingram does not pose a threat to any other person at this time.”

Holland said local residents have been incredibly helpful to police, who continue to check properties and people linked to Ingram, but warned against believing information posted on social media.

“Some of the posts on social media… are really ridiculous,” he said.

“We need to talk about information that is factual and if you have facts please contact the police.”