Inside the massive manhunt for ‘Pistol Pete’ O’Ryan after ‘extreme’ axe attack on his elderly parents and brother – as locals warn the experienced bushman is the next Dezi Freeman

A man known as "Pistol Pete" remains the subject of a large police manhunt in regional Victoria, Australia, after allegedly launching an axe attack on his own family that left them fighting for life. Peter O'Ryan, 48, is accused of attacking his brother following an argument before turning on his elderly parents in Tyers, in the Latrobe Valley; all three victims suffered critical injuries and were flown to hospital for emergency surgery. Police have warned residents not to approach O'Ryan, who is believed to be armed, and locals have drawn comparisons to fugitive cop-killer Dezi Freeman given his extensive bushcraft skills.

Detective Sergeant Rod Findlay described the injuries as "very, very extreme" and among the most serious he has encountered in years working in family violence cases. O'Ryan allegedly attacked his brother Paul, 47, before assaulting his parents Janine, 74, and Keith, 76, with a tomahawk, and is thought to have fled on foot with a firearm potentially taken from the family home. Investigators, aided by information circulating on social media, are conducting a wide search of the Latrobe Valley area and have urged O'Ryan to hand himself in, saying it would be in everyone's best interests.