A massive police operation involving approximately 100 tactical officers is underway across rural New South Wales as authorities intensify their search for Julian Ingram, a 37-year-old man accused of perpetrating a deadly shooting spree that claimed three lives in the small town of Lake Cargelligo. The tragic incident occurred on Thursday afternoon in this remote community located approximately 450 kilometers west of Sydney, sending shockwaves through the region.
Disturbing details have emerged that Ingram, who also goes by the surname Pierpoint, was out on bail for prior domestic violence offenses at the time of the shootings. According to police authorities, the victims all appear to have been personally connected to the alleged perpetrator, with the investigation focusing on these relationships.
Among the deceased is 25-year-old Sophie Quinn, reportedly Ingram’s former partner who was seven months pregnant with their son, due in March. Local media, citing police sources, indicate that another victim was Quinn’s friend who was shot dead alongside her inside a vehicle. A relative of Quinn was killed in a subsequent shooting incident that occurred shortly after the initial attack. A fourth victim, a 19-year-old, remains in critical condition at a nearby hospital.
Assistant Commissioner Andrew Holland of the NSW Police provided an update to reporters, confirming that the last confirmed sightings placed Ingram on a road leading out of Lake Cargelligo. Holland expressed particular concern about Ingram’s extensive knowledge of the local terrain, noting his employment with the local council would enable him to potentially evade detection for an extended period in the area.
Authorities have revealed that Ingram never legally possessed a firearm license, raising serious questions about how he obtained the weapons used in the attacks. The investigation is actively pursuing this line of inquiry alongside the manhunt.
The tight-knit community of Lake Cargelligo, with its population of approximately 1,500 residents, has been left reeling from the violence. Quinn’s mother, Cathy Quinn, remembered her daughter as someone who ‘did not have a mean bone in her body’ and described her as ‘a fun girl to be around.’ Assistant Commissioner Holland acknowledged that the families of the victims ‘were not doing well’ in the aftermath of the tragedy.