Melbourne: A deadly shooting has left three people dead and others injured on Thursday in the town of Lake Cargelligo in Australia’s New South Wales state, according to police reports.

According to an official statement from the police, after the reports of multiple gunshots, emergency services arrived at a residential address in the rural town of approximately 1,500 residents. 

A massive police operation is underway to locate the suspect, or potentially multiple suspects, who remain at large. 

The Incident

The violence erupted at approximately 4:40 PM on Thursday when emergency services were called to a residence on Walker Street, near Yelkin Street, in Lake Cargelligo.

Upon arrival, officers from the Central West Police District discovered a gruesome scene. Three individuals, including two women and one man, had sustained fatal gunshot wounds and were found dead at the scene.

A fourth victim, another man, was found in serious condition and was shifted to the hospital.  Authorities have described his status as serious but stable.

Town Under Lockdown

In the immediate response to the shooting, NSW Police issued an emergency "geo-targeted" text alert to all residents in the Lake Cargelligo area. 

The message urged locals to remain indoors, lock their doors, and stay away from windows. A strict perimeter has been established around the town, with heavily armed officers from the Tactical Operations Unit and PolAir helicopters coordinating the search. 

Local reports indicate the suspect may be armed with a long-arm weapon, which increases the danger to both the public and responding officers.

Resident Manisha, who did not want to give her family name, told Sydney's The Daily Telegraph newspaper there were police cars and ambulances “all over town."

“The town is made of just two main streets. We can hear the sounds of sirens, she told the newspaper.

Local state parliament lawmaker Roy Butler described the shooting as “tragic news” for the town, which is a 600-kilometre (370-mile) drive west of Sydney.

"It’s a terrible situation, and it’s still live, so we don’t have much information. My thoughts are with the victims and their families,” Butler told Australian Broadcasting Corp.

The shooting comes on a National Day of Mourning as Australia remembers the 15 people shot dead in Sydney at a Hanukkah celebration on Dec. 14.

Authorities say the two alleged Sydney gunmen were inspired by the Islamic State group to carry out Australia's worst mass shooting since 1996. (With AP Inputs)