Man shot in Devereux Creek, west of Mackay

A man is fighting for his life after being shot in the shoulder on a rural Queensland property.

Police set up outside Altmann Country, a campground on Devil's Pool Rd in Devereux Creek, west of Mackay. Picture: Fergus Gregg

A man in his 30s is fighting for his life after being shot in his shoulder in Devereux Creek, west of Mackay.

Police were called to a property in the rural suburb shortly before 10:30am to reports a man had been injured on Devil’s Pool Rd.

District Duty Officer Senior Lindsay Kuhrt said the 33-year-old man was driven towards the hospital by his dad before being picked up by paramedics — who said they picked him up from the Peak Downs Hwy.

“He’s sustained a significant gunshot injury and is undergoing treatment for that as we speak,” Mr Kuhrt said.

District Duty Officer Senior Sergeant Lindsay Kuhrt said the 33-year-old victim was rushed from the scene by his father and met halfway by paramedics who took him to Mackay Hospital. The man was shot at a property on Devil's Pool Rd in Devereux Creek on June 17, 2025. Picture: Fergus Gregg

He said the shooting appeared to be a “targeted incident” though there are no “nominated suspects”.

“It would appear to have been a rifle.”

Police used a drone with infrared thermal imaging to help clear the scene.

“We didn’t know if there was an armed offender on there,” Mr Kuhrt said.

“We used the drone as what’s called overwatch.

“As my officers went through to clear the scene the drone is over the top monitoring for any threats in the area or anyone who might try and decamp from the premises.”

There is “no immediate threat” to the public, he said.

Police closed Camilleris Rd near Devereux Creek following the reported shooting. Photo: Fergus Gregg

Camilleri’s Rd, which feeds into Devil’s Pool Rd, was shut down by police for several hours after the shooting, but has since been cleared.

Peter Agius, a resident of Devereux Creek, said his brother had heard “two shots” in the morning.

“I put two and two together — gunshots and a heap of police,” he said.

“Something is obviously wrong.”

Devereux Creek resident Peter Agius said his brother told him he heard two gunshots. Mr Agius was waiting on Camilleris Road for police to let him through so he can get home. Picture: Fergus Gregg

He was stuck at the roadblock while police investigated the scene of the shooting.

“It’s a little bit disturbing but what do you do,” Mr Agius said.

“The first thing I wanted to do was ring my brother and father and daughter to find out if they’re okay. They’re on the other side of the hill.”

He said any potential shooter would have had an easy route to flee, on a bush road behind the homes.

A Queensland Ambulance spokesman said the man’s injuries were life threatening, and Mackay Base Hospital said the man remains in a ‘serious condition’ as of 2.30pm.

Paramedics were called to the Peak Downs Highway, which links Mackay to the mines out west, at 10:18am.

Devereux Creek is a small suburb of 406 people, as of the 2021 Census.

Proportionally, its population are some of the highest earners in the Mackay region, with an average income above $80,000 per person in the 2021 Census.