Porepunkah shooting live: Victoria police ‘throwing everything’ at manhunt for suspect as search enters day three | Porepunkah shooting

Key events

Labor’s Dan Repacholi and Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie call for faster implementation of national firearm registry

There are growing calls from within parliament for the government to accelerate the implementation of a national firearm registry.

On the Today show earlier, Labor MP – and former Olympic shooter – Dan Repacholi and Nationals senator – and shooting enthusiast – Bridget McKenzie were on a joint ticket on accelerating a national register.

State, territory and federal governments agreed to establish a national firearms registry following a national cabinet meeting in December 2023, but it’s not due to take effect until 2028.

Dan Repacholi. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

Repacholi said he knows the issue “intimately”, and that the work is happening to get the registry established.

We need to make sure that we know where our firearms are in this country … We’ve got to get the states and territories to all work together because they’re the ones that ultimately look after firearms registrations for their states.

McKenzie said a registry is needed but it must be secure.

When Dan, as an Olympian and a Commonwealth Games shooting athlete, goes to compete in different states, it’s a problem. If we had Albury police head down to Porepunkah, being from NSW, they might not have been able to appreciate that this guy had firearms. So we do need a national firearms register.

We don’t need law-abiding firearm owners like Dan and I’s personal details leaked like we’ve seen from some states, because then organised crime can come and get our firearms. So we need it to be secure.

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Updated at 21.21 EDT

Inside the ‘sovereign citizen’ movement

According to Dezi Freeman’s online footprint, he has displayed a lot of behaviour that connects him with the so-called “sovereign citizen” movement.

Our reporter, Ariel Bogle, wrote a book – Conspiracy Nation – about the growth of “pseudolaw” beliefs and how they have spread in Australia so she is well placed to shed light on the movement and what motivates its adherents.

A legal expert at UNSW tells her:

The ideology has this narrative that the law was once good and just and looked after people and protected our individual rights. But at some point it was corrupted and some evil tyrannical system has taken over.

Read her fascinating piece here:

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Updated at 20.49 EDT

Police ask residents in Porepunkah area to stay indoors if they can

Police have sent another text message to everyone in the area, asking them to stay indoors and not to approach the gunman if they come across him.

It reads:

Message from Victoria Police. Specialist police continue to search for Desmond Freeman (Filby) who is armed and dangerous. Multiple police units remain in the general area of Porepunkah.

If you see Desmond, call 000 immediately and do not approach him. Restrict non-essential travel and remain indoors with buildings and vehicles locked where possible. Roadblocks may be in place.

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Updated at 20.30 EDT

Conditions in Porepunkah today are cold and rainy, with snow on the horizon in alpine zones

There’s been a lot of chatter this morning about how the poor weather will impact the search.

While the Alpine region saw snowfall overnight, the mountains are hidden from the centre of Porepunkah by a blanket of thick low cloud.

Normally, Mt Buffalo and the dense bushland at its base are visible from the winery that has become the operation centre, but this morning it has been completely covered.

Police supervise the arrival of students at Porepunkah State School. Photograph: Stuart Walmsley/The Guardian

One resident commented that the thick snowfall would be great if you wanted to ski today, but “not for those out there searching”.

It’s cold and wet – residents and journalists who are out are wrapped up in puffers, while police are patrolling in rain jackets.

The Bureau of Meteorology is recording a high of 9C in the town today, with rain throughout the day. On Thursday, more snow is forecast to fall above 900 metres.

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Updated at 20.08 EDT

Porepunkah returns to a bit of normality as manhunt continues

While police continue their search for Dezi Freeman, residents of Porepunkah have started to return to normal life after spending yesterday in lockdown. Porepunkah primary school reopened, with a stream of parents dropping off their children.

There was a small police presence at the school and several TV crews as kids filed in for the day.

Local cafes are also starting to open up, with one resident saying:

We’ve got to pay rent. People have got to eat, have a warm place to go. We made sure our staff were comfortable.

A Porepunkah resident walks her dogs as police supervise the arrival of students at Porepunkah State School. Photograph: Stuart Walmsley/The Guardian

While locals grabbed their coffees, they caught up on personal news – a new baby, a trip away – but the conversations returned to the search.

One resident said he suspected Freeman could be over Mount Buffalo by now:

If you’re fit, you can get up there in a few hours. He’s gone.

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Updated at 20.02 EDT

Victoria police minister says Freeman will be ‘held accountable’

Carbines said the officers killed earlier this week had been “shot down in cold blood doing their job” and Freeman would be “held accountable”. He added the police and their families are “hurting”:

People who’ve served previously understand and feel these matters acutely. But when you go online … or you go past police stations, you see Victorians are laying floral tributes, they’re donating to Police Legacy to support families, they’re visiting the police memorial, and people are doing what they can to demonstrate their support and their appreciation for their police.

Floral tributes at the Police Memorial in Melbourne on Thursday. Photograph: Joel Carrett/AAPShare

Updated at 19.56 EDT

Police commissioner has not asked for extra financial support, minister says

Anthony Carbines said earlier the police commissioner, Mike Bush, hasn’t asked for any additional financial support and noted interstate police have provided “a lot of technical and specialised” assistance.

Asked by host Raf Epstein if police had requested support of the special operations group before executing a search warrant at Freeman’s property in Porepunkah on Tuesday, Carbines said:

They do risk assessments when they issue warrants, and that’s been determined. Of course, we’ve got two things happening right now. One is an active police operation to arrest and bring into custody an armed offender. And we’ve also got a crime scene where police have lost their lives and others have been seriously injured.

And so those two elements are being investigated now, and I won’t speak … on how we’ve got ourselves to this point. We’ll let the investigations go where the evidence takes them.

Anthony Carbines. Photograph: Diego Fedele/AAPShare

Updated at 20.46 EDT

Victoria police minister says search for Freeman will have ‘anything’ it needs

Victoria’s police minister, Anthony Carbines, was on ABC Radio Melbourne earlier to provide an update on the search for Dezi Freeman.

He said police are “throwing everything” at finding the “dangerous, armed offender at large”. Carbines added:

We’ve been very clear to the chief – anything he needs, he’ll have. He’s also been clear to us that they are drawing on every resource they have. They also had great support and offers of assistance from interstate police services, and I know the chief’s looking to leverage that where appropriate.

That’s just everyone coming together to throw everything at supporting our police service at this time.

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Updated at 20.45 EDT

Police return to property at centre of crime scene

One resident of the property where Dezi Freeman lived was being blocked from entering it this morning.

He said he could mot say any more and did not own the property, but that he had tried to get in to get his belongings and had been blocked by police.

Earlier the area up to the property was clear, but it is now being patrolled by police.

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Updated at 18.48 EDT

Victorian high country could see blast of snow in coming days

Alpine parts of Victoria saw a fresh blanket of snow overnight, with the Bureau of Meteorology warning one of the strongest and widespread cold outbreaks of the winter season will soon move across the state in the coming days.

Helen Reid, a meteorologist at the Bureau of Meteorology, said snow is expected to be a big part of a cold weather system moving across south-eastern Australia. The system could dump large amounts of snow – up to half a metre – over Alpine mountains near the Victoria-NSW border.

Reid added that snow could fall to very low levels over the next few days, about 600 metres in Victoria.

Parts of Mount Buffalo national park, in Victoria’s high country near Porepunkah, are about 1,300 to 1,500 metres in elevation.

Scenes looking north from the end of Rayner Track, just west of Porepunkah, where police originally tried to execute an arrest warrant for Dezi Freeman. Photograph: Stuart WalmsleyShare

Updated at 18.25 EDT

Rain expected in Porepunkah today

With the roadblock lifted, police are now stationed at the operational headquarters in a winery near Feathertop.

There is a heavy presence in the area with the homicide squad, armed crime squad, fugitive squad, special operations group and critical incident response team on the ground.

Up to 27 millimetres of rain is expected for the area today.

An ambulance helicopter at an operations centre at Feathertop Winery, just north of Porepunkah. Photograph: Stuart Walmsley/The GuardianShare

Updated at 18.21 EDT

Roadblocks around property cleared

The road to the property Dezi Freeman lived in was at the centre of the action yesterday with the police roadblock, a helicopter flying overhead and several loud popping noises heard in the area.

This morning, access to the property is completely restored. A red car that had blocked the driveway has been driven to the side and there are no police around.

A red car that had been blocking access to the property yesterday has now been driven to the side and there are no police around. Photograph: Stuart Walmsley

Police have told the ABC there has been no sightings of Freeman since Tuesday when he ran into the bush, despite the roadblock near the property he lived in.

It is cold and overcast up here, making the search today difficult.

Police have warned people and the media not to go near the old property: the current advice to the broader Porepunkah area is for people to stay indoors for their own safety.

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Updated at 18.27 EDT

It’s quiet in Porepunkah this morning

The police roadblock that was stopping cars entering the area around the property where gunman Dezi Freeman was living has ended.

Last night a huge convoy of cars were seen leaving the area just house after loud popping sounds were heard.

We are expecting police to make a statement today, and will update when we have more.

Dense bushland around Porepunkah. Photograph: Simon Dallinger/AAPShare

Updated at 17.55 EDT

Victoria police urge local residents to remain vigilant

Victoria police said last night that public safety in the Porepunkah area remained its major priority as they continue to search for Freeman. Authorities were urging those in the area to remain vigilant and stay indoors where possible as the search continues.

Police said:

There has been extensive support received from our partner agencies and while for operational reasons we cannot go into all the specifics of the search, rest assured the police response is dedicated and substantial.

Police continue to advise people to remain vigilant and stay indoors where possible while the search for this suspect continues.

Police on Mt Buffalo Road, just west of Porepunkah. Photograph: Stuart Walmsley/The GuardianShare

Updated at 18.24 EDT

Who is Dezi Freeman?

In case you missed it, our reporters have been finding out more about Dezi Freeman, his life on the sprawling rural property on the edge of the town, and what might have forged his apparent anti-authority beliefs.

Dezi Freeman. Photograph: SuppliedShare

Updated at 17.18 EDT

Good morning, Nick Visser here to take over the live blog. I’ll be bringing you updates throughout the morning.

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Updated at 17.19 EDT

Victorian parliament house lit up in blue

Prominent Melbourne buildings, including state parliament, were be lit up in blue overnight as a tribute to the dead police officers.

Victoria’s premier, Jacinta Allan, announced the move yesterday, expressing her deepest sympathies to the family, friends and colleagues of the two officers.

She said:

It’s a very physical way that we can say to the men and women of Victoria police, we stand with you, we support you, we care for you, we love you, particularly in this time of grief.

Victoria’s parliament building lit up in blue in memory of the two police officers killed in Porepunkah. Photograph: Parliament of Victoria

In Wangaratta, down the road from Porepunkah, people have decorated the foyer of the town’s police station with bouquets of flowers in memory of the fallen policemen.

Floral tributes for two dead police officers at Wangaratta police station. Photograph: Allanah Sciberras/AAPShare

Updated at 18.41 EDT

As the search for Dezi Freeman nears the 48-hour mark, our reporters have been reporting from the scene in Porepunkah.

The normally quiet, idyllic Victorian high country town has become the focus of national attention with helicopters buzzing overhead and police officers swarming the local bushland.

One local who knew Dezi Freeman told us that the fugitive was a “new age Ned Kelly” who would be “pretty handy in the bush” even with up to a metre of snow forecast for the region over the next three days.

Another said: “It’s not some conspiracy theorist town. What’s happened – in any place [it would be] so far out of the ordinary. So it’s quite surreal really.”

Read the whole article here:

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Updated at 17.16 EDT

Welcome

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the hunt for the Porepunkah shooting suspect, Dezi Freeman.

The search goes into its third day today with police still camped in the small Victorian high country town to search bushland around the property where detective leading senior constable Neal Thompson, 59, and senior constable Vadim de Waart, 35, were allegedly killed by Dezi Freeman on Tuesday morning. We’ll have the latest on the search in a moment.

Victoria’s Parliament House has been lit up in blue in tribute to the dead officers with state premier, Jacinta Allan, saying it was a way of paying physical tribute to the men. More coming up.

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Updated at 20.21 EDT