Three killed in shooting in Australia’s New South Wales

Three people were shot dead in an attack in Australia’s New South Wales state on Thursday, police said, as a major security operation got underway in the town of Lake Cargelligo.

According to police, emergency services were called to the scene in the late afternoon following reports of gunfire. Two women and one man were killed in the incident, while another man was taken to hospital in a serious but stable condition.

“A police operation is currently underway at Lake Cargelligo,” police said in a statement, urging residents to stay indoors and avoid the area.

Local media reported that the shooting was being treated as a suspected domestic violence incident and that the gunman was still at large, believed to be armed with a long-barrel firearm.

Lake Cargelligo, located about 611 kilometres west of Sydney in the Central West region, has a population of around 1,100 people.

The incident comes just a month after a deadly shooting at a Hanukkah event on Bondi Beach, which killed 15 people in Australia’s worst mass shooting in decades.

Following that attack, Australia this week passed new laws allowing a national gun buyback programme and tighter background checks for firearm licences. New South Wales has also introduced measures to limit gun ownership to four firearms per person and require gun club membership for licence holders.