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Porepunkah shooting: two Victoria police officers dead, one injured in attack at rural property Porepunkah shooting: manhunt under way after two Victoria police officers killed, one injured at rural property
(about 2 hours later)
Police urge people to ‘avoid the area’ amid ‘active incident’ at Porepunkah, 300km north-east of Melbourne Police believe offender has left the property at Porepunkah, 300km north-east of Melbourne, with public urged not to travel to the area
Victoria police shooting live updatesVictoria police shooting live updates
What we know so far about the shooting in rural AustraliaWhat we know so far about the shooting in rural Australia
Two Victorian police officers are dead and another wounded after a shooting at a rural property in the High Country town of Porepunkah. A manhunt is under way after two Victorian police officers were killed and another wounded at a shooting at a rural property in the High Country town of Porepunkah.
Victoria police said on Tuesday afternoon that they were attending an “active” and “ongoing” incident at a Porepunkah address and asked people to “avoid the area”. In a statement late on Tuesday afternoon, Victoria police confirmed two on-duty officers had been shot and killed and a third seriously injured during the incident on Tuesday morning, with the alleged offender still on the run.
Four sources confirmed to Guardian Australia that two officers had been killed and another wounded in the shooting in the state’s Alpine region. The officers were among 10 officers who attended a property on Rayner Track, shortly after 10.30am today, to execute a search warrant.
None were authorised to comment on the incident and only one had been directly briefed on the incident by police. “I can confirm, tragically, that two of our fine Victoria police officers today lost their lives in the line of duty,” chief commissioner Mike Bush said in a video accompanying the statement.
“They were fired upon. The two deceased officers are still at the scene. A third officer was seriously injured and is currently in surgery in hospital.”
Police said no other officers were injured but they remain at the property. The injured officer is in a serious but stable condition.
“The exact circumstances surrounding the incident are still being determined and it remains an active and ongoing situation,” they said.
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Ambulance Victoria confirmed one person had been treated for serious lower body injuries and transported by air ambulance in a stable condition. Victoria police said it was believed the alleged offender had since left the property in the state’s Alpine region and his whereabouts remained unknown.
The mayor of Alpine shire, Sarah Nicholas, offered her heartfelt condolences to the friends, family and colleagues of the two police officers “tragically killed” in Porepunkah. Bush said all specialist resources had been deployed into the area to find the alleged offender and arrest them. This includes detectives from the homicide, armed crime and fugitive squads, as well as the special operations group and critical incident response team.
“Today has been a day of deep sorrow and shock for our community,” she said in a video statement during which she appeared visibly emotional. “I want to further assure the rural community around Bright that we will do everything to bring this person into custody so that your community is safe. Can I please ask you just to stay at home, not go out and about at the moment, until this operation is concluded,” he said.
“We hold our police in the highest regard. They serve with courage, compassion, and dedication, and their loss is felt profoundly across our region. We are deeply grateful for their service and commitment. The mayor of Alpine shire, Sarah Nicholas, offered her heartfelt condolences to the friends, family and colleagues of the two police officers “tragically killed”.
“We will keep our community informed as services resume. We are grieving together, and we will continue to support one another with compassion and care.” “Today has been a day of deep sorrow and shock for our community,” she said in a video statement, during which she appeared visibly emotional.
Officers attended the property about 300km north-east of Melbourne on Tuesday morning to serve a warrant, The Age reported. “We hold our police in the highest regard. They serve with courage, compassion, and dedication, and their loss is felt profoundly across our region. We are deeply grateful for their service and commitment.”
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, also expressed concern for police officers involved in the incident. She said all council facilities across the shire, which also takes in Bright, Dinner Plain, Mount Beauty and Myrtleford, would be closed until further notice and a meeting planned for Tuesday night had been cancelled.
“Our thoughts are with the police for the work they do, each and every day,” he said. The federal MP for Indi, Helen Haines, said it was “utterly heartbreaking” that two police officers serving the community would not make it home at the end of their shift.
“The men and women who wear … the uniform of the police force, take risks each and every day.” “This appalling event has shaken not only Porepunkah, but communities right across the north east, and indeed the nation. While we may be geographically spread, we are close-knit, and in moments like this we feel the loss together,” Haines said.
In a statement, Victoria police would not confirm details but did say that officers were at a property in Porepunkah. Ovens Valley MP Tim McCurdy, whose state electorate takes in Porepunkah, described the deaths as “heartbreaking”, “tragic” and “senseless”. He said his heart was also with the community as the manhunt continues to find the offender.
“This is still an active incident and we will provide more information when it’s operationally safe to do so. “It’s still pretty scary out there for them,” McCurdy said. “We need it to end tonight before it gets dark, hopefully and get to a conclusion, and then we can start to unravel what’s happened.”
“We ask people avoid the area,” the statement said. The secretary of Victoria’s Police Association, Wayne Gatt, said members were “devastated” by the “senseless” deaths of “our mates, colleagues and dearly loved family members”. Gatt said the loss of officers was “difficult to comprehend” and the association was assisting all members involved and their families.
A caravan park near the shooting site is in “indefinite” lockdown. Earlier, the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said his thoughts were with the police. Both the premier, Jacinta Allan, and opposition leader, Brad Battin, used question time to acknowledge the state’s police and emergency services.
A spokesperson for Porepunkah primary school confirmed the school was in lockdown on Tuesday morning. After police confirmed the deaths, Battin, a former officer, said he was “shocked and saddened” by the news.
Earlier, the school’s principal, Jill Gillies, told the ABC they were advised to not let the students out at 11.30am. Speaking on Tuesday afternoon, Gillies said almost all students at the school had returned home. “Police officers know their job is dangerous – but they do it anyway to protect us. To the families who are mourning today, know that every Australian is with you,” Battin said in a joint statement with opposition police spokesperson, David Southwick.
“Our thoughts are also with all Victorian police officers who will be feeling this loss deeply. We know your work is hard. The dangers you face are real. And your sacrifices are often unrecognised. Today we acknowledge your courage.”
Earlier in the day, a local caravan park and the Porepunkah primary school went into lockdown as police searched for the offender. By Tuesday afternoon, the school’s principal, Jill Gillies, confirmed almost all the students had returned home.
“It’s been quite an ordeal,” she told ABC Melbourne.“It’s been quite an ordeal,” she told ABC Melbourne.
The Alpine shire council closed all council facilities “effective immediately” including all transfer stations, libraries, visitor information centres and depots across the shire, which includes Bright, Dinner Plain, Mount Beauty, Myrtleford and Porepunkah. Local businesses have closed, with the Porepunkah Pub offering to prepare meals for police officers on the scene, and the airstrip providing fuel for the air wing.
Earlier, the Australian federal police commissioner, Reece Kershaw, said there were “grave concerns” for some of the police officers involved in the incident.
“Just from the police blue family, the wider family across Australia and overseas, our thoughts and prayers are with Victoria police right now,” he said.
Victoria’s premier, Jacinta Allan, began parliament’s question time on Monday afternoon with a brief statement on the Porepunkah shooting.
Allan, who changed from a red suit into a black suit for question time, paid tribute to Victoria’s police force.
“Victoria police officers and all of our first responders show extraordinary bravery and courage every single day. They are the best of us,” she said.
The Victorian opposition leader, Brad Battin, made a statement to parliament and said his thoughts were with all Victorian emergency services across the state.
“We know with an active situation up there, it’s not just the emergency services, it’s the local community that is impacted. We hear of lockdowns in schools,” he said.
“We send out our thoughts to the families, the parents and everyone involved with those schools as well.”
Allan earlier said she had been briefed by the chief commissioner of Victoria police and urged people to avoid the area.
Battin told reporters “we want to send our thoughts and our strength out to Victoria police members”.
“We know that when Victoria police members get out of bed every day and go to work, they go to work with risk,” he said.