Lake Cargelligo, January 22, 2026 —
Police are searching for a suspect after three people were killed and another injured in shootings in the New South Wales town of Lake Cargelligo on Thursday.
- Police are searching for 37-year-old Julian Ingram, also known as Pierpoint, in connection with the shootings.
- Three people died after being shot in two separate locations in Lake Cargelligo on Thursday.
- A 19-year-old man was hospitalized in serious but stable condition.
- Authorities have closed access points to Lake Cargelligo and are urging residents to remain indoors.
A large-scale search is underway in Lake Cargelligo, a remote town approximately 130 kilometers north of Griffith, after a series of shootings on Thursday. Police are seeking 37-year-old Julian Ingram, also known as Pierpoint, in connection with the deaths of three people and the injury of another.
A man, 32, and a woman, 25, were found dead in a vehicle on Bokhara Street after police responded to reports of shots fired around 4:20 p.m. local time. Shortly after, officers were called to Walker Street, where they discovered a man and a woman with gunshot wounds. The woman, 50, died at the scene, and the 19-year-old man was taken to a hospital in serious but stable condition, according to police.
Search Underway
Police describe Ingram as having an Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander appearance, standing approximately 165-170cm tall with a medium build, short dark hair, and brown eyes. He was last seen driving a Ford Ranger utility with NSW registration DM-07-GZ, which is described as having council signage, a metal tray-back, high-visibility markings, and an emergency-light bar on the roof.
Western Region Commander, Assistant Commissioner Andrew Holland, stated that all those killed were locals. “A large-scale search is underway across a large area, with police helicopters circling the town through the night and tactical officers deployed from Sydney to assist,” he said Thursday evening.
“There will be an increased presence of police in that location; we have a public order riot squad possibly coming out to ensure the safety of the community,” said Assistant Commissioner Holland.
All access points into Lake Cargelligo, including routes from Hillston, Condobolin, West Wyalong, and Goolgowi, remain closed. Authorities are requesting that residents remain indoors for their safety.
‘Crying Shame’
Lachlan Shire Mayor John Metcalf described the incident as a “crying shame,” stating, “It’s a small country town, and it is about the last thing you would expect to happen in a town that size.” Assistant Commissioner Holland acknowledged the impact on the community, saying the scenes would have been “horrendous” and that police would be providing support to those affected.
“Any death in a small country town is confronting, but again, a scene where you have people shot by firearms is obviously going to make people very, very tense and very, very concerned,” Holland said. “I’m sure they’ll be looked after by the police, and we’ll be caring for their welfare in the future.”
Residents are being urged to provide any relevant information, including mobile phone footage, dashcam recordings, CCTV images, photos, or screenshots, to assist with the investigation.
