Australian police intensify hunt for gunman who killed three in rural town

Australian police said on Friday they had intensified a search for a gunman who allegedly killed two women and a man in a rural town in New South Wales, Australia's most populous state.

The alleged perpetrator did not have a gun licence and was on bail for domestic violence offences when the attack happened, New South Wales police western region Commander Andrew Holland told reporters.

"We don't know how the weapon came into the possession of the gunman ... that will form part of the investigation," Holland said.

A 19-year-old man was also injured in the attack on Thursday in the town of Lake Cargelligo, around 610 km (380 miles) west of Sydney, and he was taken to hospital in a serious but stable condition, police said.

Australian media reported one of the victims was a 25-year-old woman, who was about seven months pregnant.

An extensive search was underway in Lake Cargelligo, with a population of just over 1,000, with specialist personnel joining the search, police said.

The shooting comes a month after two gunmen opened fire at an event on Bondi Beach celebrating the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, killing 15 people in Australia's worst mass shooting in nearly three decades.

In response to that attack, Australia's parliament passed new laws on Tuesday enabling a national gun buyback scheme and tougher background checks for firearm licences.

New South Wales, which has the highest number of firearms of any Australian state, has also introduced laws limiting individuals to owning no more than four guns and requiring licence holders to be members of a gun club.

-Renju Jose and Raju Gopalakrishnan/Reuters