Two dead after Vic siege0:31

Victoria Police have confirmed a man and woman are dead after a siege in Wangaratta.

Two dead after Vic siege

Relatives in shock after Wangaratta murder-suicide

UPDATE: RELATIVES in shock after the Anzac Day murder-suicide which rocked Wangaratta say they can’t understand why an “incredible, loving” partner and dad would turn a gun on his own family.

Gregory Floyd, 43, took his own life after using a high-powered rifle to shoot dead the mother of his children, Ora Holt, 39, on Tuesday afternoon. They leave behind four children, aged 2 to 9.

WANGARATTA SIEGE ENDS IN TRAGEDY AS MAN, WOMAN FOUND DEAD

media_cameraGreg Floyd. Picture: Supplied

Distraught relatives are supporting the youngsters, who had escaped their father just seconds before the fatal shots were fired.

Ms Holt has been remembered as a “dedicated” mother and a “lovely, caring” friend.

Close family said they believed Mr Floyd had been suffering from mental health problems including delusional thoughts.

He had been seeking psychological help.

­Neville Floyd, Gregory’s brother, said the family would never be able to completely understand the violence.

“He was a very caring father who loved his children and loved his partner. His kids were his whole life,” he said.

The deaths had been a “complete shock” to the family as he was an “an incredible, loving person”, he added.

Wangaratta mayor Ken Clarke says the city will come together to support the families of the deceased couple as well as their neighbours, in whose home the tragedy unfolded.

“We’re very concerned about the whole situation. Both families were well known in the community and the schoolchildren involved, and we’re quite devastated with what’s happened. It’s going to be quite an exercise for people to get back on track after this,” he said.

“To the best of my knowledge they were a well-respected and well thought of husband and wife, so we’ve got no idea what happened to cause him to do this.

“His family were there, just something snapped, and he’s decided to take his wife’s life and then his own life.”

Kris Clarke, a bartender at the nearby West Side Tavern, said some of the couple’s family and friends were in the tavern as the tragedy took place.

“A few of their close family and friends were in here when it happened. They just broke down straightaway,” he said.

Mr Floyd, one of eight children, worked as a storeman at Kmart.

He was a long-time local, and his mother and siblings remain in the Wangaratta area.

Ms Holt, originally from Bright, was a dedicated mother known for her service to the community, including volunteering at her children’s school.

media_cameraFlowers placed at the scene where two people died in Wangaratta.

Another sibling, Trudi Floyd, said Ms Holt was a person who would go out of her way to help those in need.

“Ora was a lovely, kind person,” Ms Floyd said.

“When my mum was sick she would bring food around for her...for my son’s birthday she made him a cake.

“She was a dedicated mother....a very caring woman.”

She said the family believed her brother had suffered “delusions”and become unnecessarily suspicious of his partner.

“It’s very out-of-character,” Ms Floyd said.

“Everyone will tell you he was an excellent person, there wasn’t a bad bone in his body.”

The couple’s neat neighbourhood around Belle Ave is normally buzzing with children playing in the street.

But on Anzac Day police cordoned off the street and others nearby after reports that Mr Floyd, a hunting enthusiast, was carrying a rifle with a telescopic sight.

Minutes before, Ms Holt had fled the family home with their children. She sought shelter at a next-door neighbour’s, but Mr Floyd soon found them.

The armed man allowed his children, as well as his neighbours and their two young children, to flee unharmed.

Heavily-armed police soon surrounded the property amid fears Ms Holt had been taken hostage.

They would soon discover they been too late to negotiate.

Officers entered the house about 5.10pm and located two bodies inside.

media_cameraFlowers placed at the scene.

It’s believed Mr Floyd shot his wife before turning the gun on himself about 12.50pm, seconds after their children ­escaped to the street.

Neighbour Miranda Fraser said her “heart breaks” for the four children.

“They have lost mummy and daddy in the worst way possible,” she said.

Mr Floyd’s sister Trudi wrote that it was a “sad day".

Megan McKenzie said she was heartbroken by the loss of her uncle and aunty. “There are still many questions that we do not have answers to,” she wrote on social media.

Premier Daniel Andrews said the events highlighted the need for more to be done to address a family violence “crisis”.

therese.allaoui@news.com.au

For those needing help, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14

For confidential support dealing with family violence matters, call the Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre on 1800 015 188