Overview

• Victoria Police confirmed a 59-year-old detective and a 35-year-old senior constable were shot dead, and a third officer was seriously injured and airlifted after being hit in the lower body.
• The shooting occurred as about 10 officers attended a property on Rayner Track to execute a warrant; media report the warrant related to alleged historical sex offences, which police have not confirmed.
• The suspect fled on foot into surrounding forest and is believed to be heavily armed, prompting a large search with helicopters, dogs and specialist squads while residents were urged to remain indoors.
• Local impacts included a lockdown at Porepunkah Primary School, closures of council facilities and the airfield, and a visible surge of police resources across the Alpine Shire.
• Media and unnamed sources report the suspect identifies as a ‘sovereign citizen’; police leadership condemned the killings as “murdered in cold blood,” and later said the man’s partner and children had contacted police and were not believed to be with him.