A Buninyong family helps capture alleged gunman who held woman hostage

A Buninyong family is in shock after they helped capture an alleged gunman who held a woman hostage for hours.

An alleged gunman is accused of shooting at a shopfront while on the run.

A Buninyong family of four helped capture an alleged gunman who held a woman at gunpoint for four hours on Tuesday morning near Ballarat.

Police say a man held a woman, known to him, hostage from 1.45am Tuesday before he fled the scene.

While on the run police will allege he shot at an op shop door, before he knocked on the family’s home asking for help.

He was later arrested by armed police officers and the dog squad and taken to hospital after he was bitten.

The father of the home, who did not want to be named but is in his 30s, said his family had considered inviting the alleged gunman inside.

SES volunteers search for missing gun parts on Tuesday.

“It’s frightening to think how close we came to an alleged crazed gunman,” he said.

“Initially we had no idea what was going on and thought he might have been involved in an accident or a fight.

“I offered him water, we almost let him inside, thankfully we called police, and they raced around.”

The man said his family watched the man be arrested while they on their front lawn.

“We witnessed him get arrested at gunpoint. My youngest son, was too shaken to go school,” he said.

“I never would have thought this would happen in Buninyong.

“Anything could have happened. Thank God he didn’t have his gun when he knocked on our door.

“This was a bizarre situation. First, the police rushed here and started talking to the guy through their loudspeakers; eventually, they sicked the dogs on to him.”

The bushland that the accused gunman hid in.

The man has not been charged but the father said the alleged kidnapper was wearing no shoes when he asked for help.

The dad said the accused asked him to call police who said it was a “hostage incident” and back up would be on the way.

The alleged gunman hid in thick vegetation until police arrived.

A Victoria Police spokesperson thanked the family for their quick-thinking.