Three Killed In A Shooting In Australia, One Injured

Three people were killed and another injured in a shooting on Thursday in the small New South Wales town of Lake Cargelligo, police said.

Emergency services were called to an address in Lake Cargelligo, a town of about 1,500 residents, following reports of gunfire, according to a police statement. Three people, two women and a man, were found dead at the scene, while another man was taken to hospital in a serious but stable condition. Police said the shooter or shooters were believed to be at large.

Authorities cordoned off the area as police and emergency services responded to the incident. Geo-targeted text messages were sent to residents urging them to avoid the area and remain indoors until further notice.

A local resident, Manisha, who did not want to give her family name, told Sydney’s The Daily Telegraph that police vehicles and ambulances were “all over town.” “The town is made of just two main streets. We can hear the sounds” of sirens, she said.

The shooting occurred on a National Day of Mourning, as Australia commemorated the 15 people shot dead in Sydney during a Hanukkah celebration on December 14.

Authorities have said the two alleged gunmen in the Sydney attack were inspired by the Islamic State group, marking Australia’s deadliest mass shooting since 1996.

(with AP inputs)