Man shot, police hunt offender after break-in at Nundah

Neighbours have told of the terrifying screams as a man was shot while trying to defend himself with a samurai sword during a violent break-in in Brisbane’s north.

A man has been shot while trying to defend himself with a samurai sword during a violent break-in at Nundah, in Brisbane’s north, overnight, with police saying they are looking for three to five men over the incident.

The 26-year-old man suffered a single gunshot wound to his leg just after midnight and was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries, while a 24-year-old woman who was also at the Florence St address suffered minor injuries.

Police at the scene of the shooting on Florence St at Nundah. Picture: Today Show/Channel 9

Detective Inspector John Mison said police were looking for three to five men of African heritage.

He said police were treating the incident as targeted but declined to go into detail about why.

“What I can say is it doesn’t appear to be a random attack,” Insp Mison said.

“The occupants have only been at that address approximately in the last month they moved there.

“We are still actively out there trying to confirm the motive for the attack and it’s too early to commit one way or another.”

Police believe a shotgun-type weapon was used.

Insp Mison said the man had an injury to his leg and the woman had “shrapnel type” minor injuries.

Police believe the man was shot outside the house and had tried to defend himself with a samurai sword.

“I’m aware that the male person armed himself which led to some of the offenders fleeing the residence and that may have been a potential samurai-type sword,” Insp Mison said.

Insp Mison said it appeared the group were “going there for a reason” and that police did not believe anything was taken from the home.

Police outside a home on Florence St at Nundah where a man was shot during a break-in. Picture: David Clark

He confirmed police had interacted with the people in the home previously but declined to say in what way.

“I’ve got a team of detectives out in the field actively looking for leads as we speak in relation to that, that includes conducting door knocks, analysing CCTV in the nearby surrounds of where the incident occurred,” Insp Mison said.

“At this stage it’s obviously a priority for us because we treat any gun violence very seriously and we will be taking all action necessary to locate the persons who committed this offence and bring them to account.”

A forensic office at the scene of the shooting. Picture: David Clark

Insp Mison said the people who fled the home were potentially still armed and urged people not to approach them if they believed they were involved.

Neighbour Jessica Schultz said she heard a “commotion” followed by a loud “bang”.

“I was sleeping … there was a commotion and then the next thing I knew there was a bang,” she said.

“I heard the gunshot, I got up and heard the man screaming ‘I’ve been shot! I’ve been shot!’

“We all ran out to help.”

Police at the scene on Florence St in Nundah on Thursday morning.

Ms Schultz said when she ran outside, the injured man was lying on the footpath.

“People just tried to help and apply pressure and wait for the ambulance to arrive,” she said.

“The guy’s wife, she had blood on her legs but I wasn’t quite sure if she was hurt as well because she was on the phone the whole time.”

Ms Schultz said the couple have a small child.

The property on Florence St, Nundah, where a man was shot and a woman injured. Picture: David Clark

Another neighbour described the shots fired incident as like “something out of a TV show”.

“The shotgun blast woke me, I ran to the window and heard a guy screaming,” he said.

“I grabbed my phone and as I was opening the door a car came down the road at a great rate of knots.

“There was a couple of people that came and put rags on the guy’s leg to staunch the blood.

“It was like something out of a TV show.”

The neighbour said the man who had been shot was “traumatised” and yelled out ‘I’m bleeding out! I’m bleeding out!’.

“He was in his jocks, lying on the ground,” he said.

Another neighbour Lillian Kennedy said she woke up to the sound of a single gunshot.

“I thought I was dreaming … I looked outside and saw a white SUV speed off, seconds after the gunshot,” she said.

The scene at Nundah early this morning. Picture: Today Show/Channel 9

Ms Kennedy said she saw someone run into the passenger side of the car.

She said her neighbour was “terrified”.

It’s not suggested/alleged that the residents of the home have engaged in any wrongdoing.

Investigations are continuing and police have asked that anyone with information that could assist their investigation – including dashcam vision in the area – contact them.

Originally published as Man shot, police hunt offender after break-in at Nundah