MELBOURNE, Australia — A gunman was at large after a shooting in a town in Australia's New South Wales state on Thursday left three people dead and another wounded, police said.
Emergency services were called to two locations at Lake Cargelligo, a town of around 1,500 people, after 4 p.m. Two couples, a man and woman, had been shot in each location within minutes, Police Assistant Commissioner Andy Holland said.
Both women and a man died. Another man was taken to hospital in serious but stable condition, he said.
Police knew the identity of a suspect, but did not know his relationship with the victims, who were all Lake Cargelligo locals, Holland said. The suspect's name has not been released.
The victims were the suspect's former partner, two of her relatives and her new partner, Sydney's The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported, citing unnamed police sources.
State police were working to locate the suspect and had sent resources from neighboring districts to the town, including heavily armed tactical police, Holland said. The town had been cordoned off to prevent the suspect's escape.
Police used geo-targeted text messages to urge the public to avoid the area and for local residents to stay inside. The Commercial Hotel, a local pub, was closed by 6 p.m.
''The offender is believed to have fled in a vehicle,'' Holland told reporters. ''The offender is mobile, hence … we're asking people in those areas to remain inside their premises for their own safety.''
