The shooter Dezi Freeman, who has been wanted since the end of August, was killed in a police operation in the Australian state of Victoria.
Mar 30, 2026, 7:46 a.mMar 30, 2026, 7:46 a.m
According to police, there was a confrontation that lasted around three hours before the 56-year-old was finally shot by officers.
Freeman was shot dead at a remote property in Tholongolong, Victoria.Image: keystone
Special forces tracked down Freeman in the morning (local time) on a remote property in a container-like structure near the town of Thologolong in the state of Victoria. He was considered one of the most wanted criminals in the country.
What had happened?
Seven months ago he opened fire on police officers on his property near the town of Porepunkah, around 300 kilometers northeast of Melbourne. Two police officers were killed and another was seriously injured. Freeman escaped armed into densely wooded terrain – the beginning of an unprecedented large-scale manhunt. Freeman’s wife Amalia, who has three children with him, publicly called on him to turn himself in.
For months, hundreds of emergency services combed the difficult-to-access area, supported by helicopters, drones and dog teams. The authorities repeatedly warned that the man they were looking for was “dangerous to the public.”
Australian “Reich Citizen”
Freeman was attributed to the so-called “Sovereign Citizens” scene – an ideological movement that is comparable to the German “Reichsbürger”. In media reports and court documents, he was described as a convicted gun nut who rebelled against all state authority.
Meanwhile, the investigation continues. The police are particularly checking whether Freeman received support from those around him during his escape. (sda/dpa)