Leading psychologist Tim Watson-Munro warns Lake Cargelligo shooter Julian Ingram is "highly dangerous"

In Short

• The Assessment: Criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munro labels fugitive Julian Ingram a "narcissistic psychopath" who may attempt "suicide by cop" to avoid a life sentence.

• The Hunt: The manhunt for Ingram has shifted toward the Mount Hope area after the January 22nd quadruple shooting in Lake Cargelligo that claimed four lives, including an unborn child.

• The Systemic Failure: The tragedy has sparked a national outcry over AVO effectiveness, with advocates demanding a "disclosure scheme" to allow partners to check violent criminal histories.

Leading criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munro has provided a chilling assessment of the fugitive Julian Ingram (also known as Pierpont-Ingram) mindset, describing him as a “narcissistic psychopath.”

Ingram remains on the run, and is wanted for the murders of his 25-year-old ex-partner, Sophie Quinn, her unborn child, 32-year-old John Harris, and 49-year-old Nerida Quinn.

A fourth victim, 19-year-old Kaleb Macqueen, was also shot and seriously wounded.

The shooting took place on the afternoon of Thursday, January 22, 2026, in the town of Lake Cargelligo.

The incident began at approximately 4:20 PM on Bokhara Street, where Sophie Quinn and John Harris were fatally shot while sitting in a vehicle.

The violence continued minutes later at a second location on Walker Street, where Nerida Quinn was killed and Kaleb Macqueen was critically injured.

Following the attacks, the suspect, Julian Ingram, was reportedly seen fleeing the town in a white Ford Ranger utility vehicle, sparking a massive manhunt that has since extended into the nearby Mount Hope area.

“What keeps him going is the narcissism; not wanting to confront the reality of what he has allegedly done, not wanting to cop the consequences,” Watson-Munro said.

The psychologist warned that Ingram’s refusal to face a lengthy prison sentence for the deaths of four people—including the foetus—makes him highly dangerous if cornered.

“He doesn’t want to go to jail... that is a very strong motivator for people like him, and he will evade detection for as long as possible,” Watson-Munro said.

“Suicide by cop if confronted by police, then he’d become the Ned Kelly of the west in his mind.”

The tragedy has reignited scrutiny of the legal protections afforded to domestic violence victims.

It has been revealed that Sophie Quinn had applied for an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO) against Ingram prior to the attack.

Ingram was reportedly subject to similar orders involving two other women in previous years.

AVOs are designed to restrict a subject's proximity to a protected person and can include prohibitions on owning firearms. However, advocates argue these measures are failing to prevent fatalities.

Jo Cooper, a domestic violence survivor and advocate, told 7NEWS that the current system is in "crisis management."

“I’m a victim survivor, I’ve seen the worst of what happens... and that was over 20 years ago,” Cooper said.

“I just don’t believe anything has changed to a standard that we’re saving lives.”

Recent data from the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) indicates an increase in domestic violence-related murder charges between October 2024 and October 2025.

In response, the NSW Government recently raised the minimum non-parole period for such crimes to 25 years.

Advocates like Cooper are calling for a "disclosure scheme," similar to one currently operating in South Australia, which would allow individuals to check a national database for a partner’s violent history.

While a NSW Government spokesperson stated that such a scheme could create a false sense of security, Cooper’s federal petition has garnered over 100,000 signatures.

“We need tougher consequences, preventative tools, because at the moment abusers know the consequences aren’t really that tough,” Cooper said.

She said that without such tools, victims remain reluctant to report because "they don’t think the system cares."

Federal Attorney-General Michelle Rowland’s office stated that the government remains committed to a $4.7 billion package to end gender-based violence, though primary responsibility for bail and criminal laws remains with individual states.