Emergency services called to Surfers Paradise after shooting leaves two in life-threatening condition, third injured
Police say a man suspected of shooting his neighbour on the Gold Coast and stabbing two others, all from the same family, was himself injured and would require medical attention. READ THE LATEST.
Gold Coast
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Police are searching for a man after a neighbourly noise dispute on the Gold Coast left a man in his twenties critically injured after being shot twice, and two others with stab wounds and lacerations.
Emergency services raced to Peninsular Drive in Surfers Paradise at about 2am Monday where they discovered a 44-year-old man with significant wounds to his leg, neck and head, his 21-year-old son with gunshot wounds to his stomach and a laceration on his back, and another son, a 23-year-old, with lacerations.
Police are searching for the suspected gunman, a 30-year-old male named by police as Mitchell Barnes, a neighbour of the injured men, who are all from the same family.
Anyone who witnessed the incident, has relevant CCTV or dashcam footage, or knows of the whereabouts of Mr Barnes are urged to contact police urgently.
At a press conference on Monday morning, Detective Inspector Mark Mooney said police believed Mr Barnes and his partner were involved in a verbal argument when the older victim, who lived in the unit below, told them to be quiet as he had work tomorrow (Monday).
“As a result of that our offender has let a warning shot go from the back deck over into the ground outside our victim’s address,” Inspector Mooney said.
“A couple of minutes after that – we’re not sure exactly the time frame there – but our offender has then come down and confronted the victim in the common area of that unit complex.”
It was during this altercation police believe the 21-year-old was shot twice in his “waistline area”, while all three men sustained injuries police believe was caused by a small keychain knife.
A gun, a black revolver with three shots missing from the cylinder, is in the possession of police after being recovered from the scene.
All three men were transported to Gold Coast University Hospital – the 44-year-old and 21-year-old in life-threatening conditions, and the 23-year-old in a stable condition.
They are all expected to live.
Inspector Mooney said Mr Barnes fled the scene in a white Mazda hatchback that was later recovered at an address in Helensvale. Persons at that address were assisting police.
Police believe Mr Barnes then entered another vehicle, a black Toyota Camry bearing New South Wales registration plates DL 48 YW, that was last seen in the vicinity of Gold Coast University Hospital at about 6am.
Inspector Mooney said police believed Mr Barnes, who is known to police, had also sustained injuries in the altercation – a laceration to his skull and a possible broken arm – that would require medical attention.
Also remaining at large is the suspected gunman’s partner – the 38-year-old woman with whom he was arguing before the 44-year-old man asked them to be quiet – and police are currently trying to locate her “to clarify exactly what’s occurred,” Inspector Mooney said.
It is not believed the pair are together, and the woman is not alleged to have been involved in the later shooting and stabbings.
Gold Coast Acting Chief Superintendent Peter Miles urged the suspected gunman to turn himself in.
“We have a fair idea of who we’re looking for,” he told ABC Gold Coast on Monday morning.
“The appeal is for that gentleman to give himself up. This isn’t going away, this is [alleged] attempted murder.
“A person’s running around the Gold Coast armed with firearms … it’s not going to fly.
“We just need you to come in and give yourself up and we’ll deal with you from there on in.”
As at 8.50am, multiple detectives continued to arrive on scene.
A driveway at Peninsular Dr was cordoned off with police tape, while a tow truck also attended the scene and was allowed access down the driveway.
A neighbour told this masthead he “woke up to screaming” but couldn’t make out what was said.
Other neighbours from the same block were shocked when this masthead said there was a shooting next door, as they heard nothing.
A nearby resident told this masthead she witnessed the white hatchback leave the scene but “didn’t realise the seriousness” of what had occurred.
Lorraine Black, a resident of nearby Edgewater Gardens, said she was woken by the commotion.
“I heard arguing, screaming, a girl screaming, guy yelling,” she said.
“I got out of bed and tried to work out where it was.
“I thought, someone has to be ringing the police, and then I heard this bang, it wasn’t a car accident, it was a shot.”
The tow truck left at around 9am carrying a green motorcycle.
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