Victorian police and commuters watched as a gunman shot himself dead moments after shooting his estranged partner in the face in a suburban Melbourne railway station car park.
The man, 65, of Keilor Downs, shot his former partner, a 49-year-old Sydenham woman, after she walked to her car at Watergardens railway station in northwest suburban Sydenham about 5.20pm (AEST) on Monday, police said.
The woman was seriously wounded when she was shot with a handgun after a brief argument with the man.
Several witnesses saw the incident.
Detective Senior Sergeant Stuart Bateson of the homicide squad said police could not confirm the relationship between the man and woman.
But police sources at the scene said it was believed the two were an estranged couple and the former relationship was the subject of an intervention order.
Det Snr Sgt Bateson said a police unit was nearby and arrived at the scene within a few minutes to confront the gunman.
"(They) challenged the man to put down the gun. When he saw the police he turned the gun on himself and he is now deceased," he said.
The man suffered a gunshot wound to the head. No shots were fired at police.
Witnesses told police the man was within a few metres of the woman when he fired.
"They told us that there had been an argument between the two of them and the male pulled what appeared to be a small handgun and shot the woman. (He was) very close," Det Snr Sgt Bateson said.
The woman was rushed to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in a serious condition with a single gunshot wound to the face.
She was conscious and gave police some personal details before paramedics took her away.
She has since undergone surgery and remains in a stable condition in hospital.