Porepunkah shooting live updates: Two police officers killed in rural Victoria as search for shooter continues

As mentioned earlier, the ABC has confirmed the gunman that police are searching for to be Dezi Freeman.

Police earlier confirmed that Dezi Freeman was known to police.

Chief Commissioner Bush said there was no evidence that the suspected gunman had left Porepunkah region.

“We have nothing to suggest he’s fled the area. But we are keeping a very open mind,” he said.

Chief Commissioner Bush said police understood the address to be owned by Dezi Freeman and his family.

“I believe it was an address occupied by himself, his partner and his children,” he said.

Chief Commissioner Bush said police would be releasing an image of the suspect “imminently”.

“My message to that person is: give yourself up so that the community can be at peace and we can have this matter resolved peacefully,” Chief Commissioner Bush said.

The ABC has confirmed the name of the suspected gunman as Dezi Freeman – a local man in his 50s – who identifies himself as a “sovereign citizen”.

Police says there has been no contact with the shooter since the events of the morning.

Chief Commissioner Bush said the suspect has “several” guns on his person.

When asked about whether the gunman knew police were coming and had planned an ambush, he could not comment.

“It would be wrong for me to speculate on that,” Chief Commissioner Bush said.

He said it was a “full deployment” with every available person tasked with finding the suspect.

Chief Commissioner Bush says the suspect was known to police, and authorities believe the suspect lives on the property.

“My belief is that it’s their residence,” he said.

He said investigators were looking at the scene at the moment to determine whether weapons were taken off police officers.

But Chief Commissioner Bush says the gunman was already heavily armed prior to the shootout.

Chief Commissioner Bush would not disclose the reason behind the raid at the suspect’s property.

He said Victoria Police did conduct a risk assessment before the search warrant was executed.

Chief Commissioner Bush is answering questions, but warned that it was an ongoing situation and could not divulge certain details.

He confirmed the suspect was “heavily armed” and dangerous.

Chief Commissioner Bush said police officers were met by the offender at the property and “murdered in cold blood”.

He said the suspect escaped the property on foot, and was on his own at the time.

“We are still looking to locate his partner and two children, but he was not seen to head into the bush with them,” he said.

The Police Association Victoria secretary Wayne Gatt is also in Wangaratta.

Mr Gatt said there was” a shocking and eerie feeling of dread” that had fallen across police stations across the state.

He said hundreds of police officers were putting themselves in danger at the moment in an effort to apprehend the shooter.

Mr Gatt said police officers would eventually “crash” after the events of today and the reality of the day would hit them.

Chief Commissioner Bush gave his condolences to the families of those affected by the day’s tragedy.

“We thank those courageous officers, in fact we thank every police officer who comes to work every day to keep their community safe,” he said.

“We will do everything to look after the families of those officers.”

In an update at Wangaratta Police Station, Victorian Chief Commissioner Mike Bush gave details about the victims killed in the shooting.

He said a 59-year-old detective and a 35-year-old Senior Constable died at the scene.

“The suspect for this horrific event is still at large. We believe he is armed,” Chief Commissioner Bush said.

“Our priority is to arrest him, to ensure he is held to account for his actions.”

Text messages have been sent out in the local area around Porepunkah, warning residents that a gunman remains on the run and is armed.

A number of travellers to the Mt Buffalo Caravan Park have been stranded in Bright and at the neighbouring Mt Buffalo National Park during the police operation.

Caravan park owner Emily White said one visitor has been unable to return to their pet dogs, which were left behind in a unit on the site.

“They’re unable to come onto our property,” she said.

Ms White said her park was within 150m of the police operation area, and that she was aware of the location of the shooting.

She said she hadn’t heard from police in a few hours.

“We’ve still got choppers overheard and our workers are still here,” she said.

“We’ve had no word on when this might end … we’re at a standstill.”

Police still have a heavy presence at the scene near Porepunkah, as the manhunt for the culprit behind a deadly shooting that killed two police officers continues.

A helicopter continues to patrol the skies above the regional Victorian town, while roads remain cordoned off.

It’s understood the Porepunkah shooter identifies as a “sovereign citizen”, a movement steeped in the belief that the government and institutions such as courts are illegitimate.

Harry Hobbs is an Associate Professor at UNSW’s Faculty of Law and Justice and an expert in sovereign citizenship.

He told ABC Radio Melbourne it’s an idiosyncratic movement where believers “pick and choose” what laws to follow.

“The language of sovereign citizens comes from the United States; it’s essentially a person who believes that laws don’t apply to them unless they’ve consented to them,” Dr Hobbs said.

“So, the laws passed by parliaments or decisions handed down by judges, they don’t apply unless you individually decided to consent for it to apply to you.”

Dr Hobbs said some sovereign citizen groups were trying to make “their own parallel institutions of government” where they exert their own authority.

“Essentially, sovereign citizens … believe they have a true and uncorrupted understanding of what the law is, and the rest of us are living in some sort of corrupted legal system.”

Dr Hobbs said it’s not clear how many people in Australia align with sovereign citizen ideologies.

The Queensland Police Union president Shane Prior said police are confronting a range of emotions they felt during the loss of colleagues in similar circumstances at Wieambilla, in Queensland’s Western Downs in 2022.

“We still vividly remember the shock and disbelief that came with the realisation two of our friends were murdered and others were injured responding to a task on a remote rural property,” Mr Prior said in a statement released to the ABC.

Mr Prior said the union has reached out to offer every possible form of support to Victoria during this difficult time.

Earlier today, Queensland’s Attorney-General Deb Frecklington told state parliament the government sends its “thoughts and prayers” to Victoria.

“I know that all frontline police officers across all states across Australia will be in deep distress right now for their fallen brothers and sisters,” she said.

Independent member for Indi Helen Haines has described the Porepunkah shooting as an appalling event.

Dr Haines said her north-east Victorian constituents were “shocked and devastated” by the incident.

“Everyone deserves to make it home at the end of their shift. It is utterly heartbreaking that two members serving our community will not do so today,” Dr Haines said.

“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.”

Dr Haines thanked police, emergency services and teachers in Porepunkah for their collective efforts protecting the community.

Here are the latest details:

• There’s an active shooter situation near the Victorian town of Porepunkah.
• Ten officers travelled to a rural property on Rayner Track near Porepunkah with a warrant relating to historical sex offences at about 10.30am this morning.
• Two police officers were shot dead and another was taken to hospital with serious injuries after being shot in the lower body.
• Victoria Police report that the shooter is still on the run and has not yet been brought into custody.
• Dog squads, armoured vehicles and camouflaged tactical teams have now been deployed as the manhunt continues.
• Local residents have been told to stay indoors and police have asked people not to travel to the area. 
• The local council has closed all its facilities, health services have restricted entry and local businesses have also been advised to remain closed.
• Local schools are no longer in lockdown, with students allowed to return home.
• Police will provide a further update at 6pm.

New South Wales Police posted this message to Facebook a short while ago, paying tribute to their colleagues.

“Our heartfelt condolences go out to Victoria Police following the tragic loss of two officers today,” the statement read.

“We also send our support to the third officer who was seriously injured.

“Our thoughts are with their families, friends, colleagues, and the entire community as they navigate this profoundly difficult time.”

Chief Commissioner Bush said a team of 10 police officers attended a property on Rayner Track near Porepunkah shortly after 10.30am this morning.

He said two officers were fatally shot while a third was shot in the lower body.

“It’s believed the offender has since left the property and at this time his whereabouts are unknown,” a police statement said.

“A significant search is actively underway to locate the man.”