Gunman behind Kirkstall shooting used a chainsaw to chop down a neighbour’s trees before his rage ended in a deadly showdown

Pictures have emerged of a younger Travis Cashmore posing with a gun in the years before he opened fire on feared local crime identity Kevin Knowles and one of his mates.

The gunman behind a shooting triple-tragedy used a chainsaw to chop down a neighbour’s trees before his rage ended in a deadly showdown.

Witnesses say Travis Cashmore was highly agitated as he wielded the power tool in the yard next-door to his property at Kirkstall, in the state’s south-west on Friday morning.

Soon after, he opened fire on feared local crime identity Kevin Knowles and one of his mates, known to locals as “Benny”, in a roadside confrontation.

Mr Cashmore, 45, then returned to his home on Chamberlain St and took his own life.

45-year-old Travis Cashmore was found dead at a property in Chamberlain St, Kirkstall. Picture: Facebook

Locals say Mr Cashmore had lived in Kirkstall for a decade but began to “turn” when Knowles moved to the town two years ago.

Both Mr Cashmore and Knowles were “standover men” around the town who could act reasonably when “off it” (not using drugs) but caused trouble when they’d been “on the gear”, neighbours said.

The pair had been locked in an ongoing dispute, suspected by locals to be drug-related, with “poor Benny” believed to be an innocent victim tied up in the drama.

One neighbour suspected Mr Cashmore’s motive to kill Knowles might’ve been because “he had better gear than him”.

Another neighbour speculated the double murder-suicide which locals said may have been sparked by a dispute over “drugs or girls”.

A woman close to Knowles told the Herald Sun that he was going shopping before he was ambushed and killed.

“All he was doing was going to the shops,” she said.

A forensics unit was still examining the scene of Mr Cashmore’s property on Saturday, with his body remaining in a tent in the backyard.

Neighbours say they had long been troubled by Mr Cashmore’s tendency to explode into random bursts of anger.

Two men were found dead along Scotts North Rd at Kirkstall. Picture: ABC News

The Herald Sun has been told there had been “simmering” friction between Knowles and Mr Cashmore for some time.

Knowles, who had faced 300 charges and had a reputation for violence in the area, had done multiple prison stretches.

He was investigated over the December, 2016, death of Warrnambool man Steven Johnston, 57, who died in hospital from “catastrophic” injuries after being bashed at his home.

Knowles later sought a certificate against self-incrimination from an inquest into the death of Mr Johnston, a father-of-two.

A state coroner referred him to the Director of Public Prosecutions for consideration of charges.

The deaths are being treated as a double murder-suicide. Picture: Owen Leonard

The only witness to the attack was his then-partner Amanda Bourke who had been present at the Suzanne Crescent property.

She would later write to family members saying that Knowles was putting pressure on her not to give evidence because she was not a “dog” and should not talk to the “jacks”.

In 2018, she drowned at a beach west of Warrnambool known as The Cutting while swimming with Knowles.

Ms Bourke’s family was concerned enough about the circumstances of her death to request an inquest.

Knowles was a known ice-user and heavy drinker with a hair-trigger temper.

Detectives were last night at the scene of the brutality on Scotts North Rd, Kirkstall, at 10.20am, and at Chamberlain St.

Police at the scene where two men were found injured and later died in Kirkstall. Picture: Channel 7

The victims who died on Scotts North Rd both had gunshot wounds and at least one had been run over by a vehicle.

Kirkstall locals told the Herald Sun the second victim was an “innocent” but “not quite right” man tied up in Knowles’ criminal activity, and was known around the town simply as “Benny”.

A major search began for the shooter but it ended hours later when Mr Cashmore’s body was found.

Homicide squad detectives who were at the Chamberlain St house on Friday evening remained tight-lipped over the exact circumstances but said it was “going to be a long night”.

The Kirkstall Hotel was packed full of stunned locals on Friday night, with one man telling the Herald Sun “this sort of stuff never happens here”.

The man, who did not want to be named, was at the bar having a beer with his father; who had not heard of such atrocity in his 76 years as a Kirkstall local.

Another man said he had never seen the pub so busy.

Pub patrons were hesitant when asked about Knowles, acknowledging his reputation but preferring not to answer questions about his past.

A local in neighbouring Koroit was more blunt.

“He was a “f--kwit,” the man said.

“He should’ve been shot years ago.

Mr Cashmore’s next-door-neighbour, Ian Williams, told the Herald Sun he’d heard a “bang” midmorning.

He said such noises were not unusual on farmland but he became suspicious when his dog began to aggressively bark.

“At about 10.30am I heard a bang,” Mr Williams said.

“And what caught my attention was our dog.

“She never barks and yet she was barking. And I thought well, that’s a bit unusual.”

Mr Williams then got a call from his wife, who had been blocked by the police presence on Scotts North Rd.

Police scour the area in the wake of the killings. Picture: 7 News

“I got a call from my wife saying she’d been stopped on the back road. They wouldn’t let her through,” he said.

“And she’d received something from a friend perhaps saying that they’d been a murderer in town.

“And once she said that, I wandered outside to see an unmarked car.

“They said, ‘Yep, we’re the police,

“The exact circumstances surrounding the deaths are yet to be determined at this stage, however detectives are not looking for anyone else in connection with this matter,” a Victoria Police statement said.

Anyone with information or relevant dashcam footage has been asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit crimestoppersvic.com.au