Australian police have revealed there is a second person in the house at the centre of a Melbourne siege that has been playing out since Monday morning.
Police say the woman is an acquaintance of Christopher Binse, also known as "Badness", but will not confirm if she is his girlfriend.
Authorities have spoken to the woman and say she is not considered a hostage, the ABC reports.
Mr Binse has now fired 12 shots since police tried to arrest him at the house in Streling Drive in Keilor East early on Monday.
The 43-year-old repeated bank robber and jail escapee, has spent most of his life behind bars. He is believed to be the same man who drew a gun on police in a crowded pizza restaurant in the nearby suburb on Niddrie on Sunday night.
In that incident, a man pointed a gun at detectives when they went to speak to him about a motorcycle parked outside an Italian restaurant in Keilor Road. He then fled on foot.
Acting Superintendent Stephen Mutton says police are continuing negotiations with the woman and Mr Binse in the hope he will give himself up peacefully.
Mr Mutton says he is confident they have made the area safe for nearby residents but there were no indications that the gunman is ready to surrender.
