For the inhabitants of the village Porepunkah in the Australian Alps, the advice from the police is to continue "staying indoors for the time being". School and local businesses have been closed since the 56-year-old man shot and killed two police officers and injured a third.
It's quite shocking, but we're sticking together and taking care of each other, says local resident Linda to ABC.
It was during Tuesday morning that the police came to the man's farm outside Porepunkah to carry out a search. He is said to have opened fire and then fled into the forest.
"Sovereign citizens"
The man is said to be part of a small movement that calls itself "sovereign citizens". They do not recognize the authorities of society, and therefore think they do not need to obey laws and rules. The police fear that the 56-year-old has advanced and powerful weapons with him.
Hundreds of police officers are participating in the search, which is made more difficult by unusually harsh winter weather. On the other hand, the police hope that the cold in the area, which is one of the coldest in Australia, can make life more difficult for the fleeing man as well.
He is obviously a very dangerous person and must be apprehended. That's why we've called in all available resources, says Victoria's police chief Mike Bush.
Popular among tourists
The man's partner and children were questioned during Tuesday evening local time.
Porepunkah is located about twelve miles southwest of Mount Kosciuszko, the highest mountain on the Australian mainland. In the area, it can often snow when it's winter like now. It's very sparsely populated but popular among tourists for various outdoor activities – and really cold winters, even skiing.
