Shootout in suburban street the latest in an escalating gun and violence surge

Two armed gunmen remain at large - as it can be revealed where armed robberies are rising across the city. Read the latest after a drama-filled weekend.

The number of crimes involving weapons on the Gold Coast is shooting up.

Armed robbery incidents across the city have jumped nearly 80 per cent in 12 months - from 43 to August, 2022, to 76 for the same period this year, data obtained by the Bulletin and verified by an independent crime statistics expert reveals.

The number of charges relating to illegal firearms has also increased by more than 44 per cent in a year - with 23 offences recorded to August which is up from 16 in 2022.

Two gunmen are on the run after storming a home on the Gold Coast overnight and witnesses say they opened fire on one of the residents inside.

The data comes as two gunmen remain at-large after spraying a Coomera home with bullets on Monday night a week ago.

Families including children, witnessed the violent confrontation on Cobalt Circuit when two men kicked in the front door of a home just after 7pm.

The pair were seen a dragging a man from inside the property, an argument ensued before one of the offenders opened fire as the victim tried to escape.

Two bullets struck a ute parked outside the Coomera home.

In a separate incident on Saturday evening a week ago, police allege a 26-year-old stole a Ford Ranger using what appeared to be a gun in Southport, before driving the vehicle to Elanora. It’s then alleged he pulled the reported weapon on a motorcyclist, and stole their bike. Police tracked the man for several hours before he lost control and crashed.

He’s been charged with two counts of armed robbery and a number of firearms offences.

A Tugun pub was held up at knife-point in July. Picture: Queensland Police Servic

In a separate incident a store clerk was held at gunpoint during a terrifying armed robbery at a Southport service station. Picture: Queensland Police Service.

Police figures show there have been more than 30 armed robberies across the Gold Coast district over an eight-week period. In July, a Tugun pub was robbed at knifepoint after a man entered the bar area and pulled a large kitchen knife from his pants and threatened two workers.

They were forced to empty the tills before the offender ran off. The following month a Southport petrol station employee was threatened at gunpoint and forced to handover cash.

Jim Keogh says the crime stats highlight a need to bring back the armed robbery squad. Picture: Jerad Williams

The Gold Coast’s former top cop and Superintendent Jim Keogh said the weekend events and the crime stats highlight the need for a dedicated armed robbery police unit to be re-established with an office on the Gold Coast.

“The reality is if they’re going to a job with a firearm, they’re prepared to take a life, they’re not going in there with a pretend replica firearm” he said.

“You need a very specific unit to monitor the people with previous armed robbery convictions, tendencies towards armed robbery and worst still are leaning towards loaded firearms at robbery scenes.

“It’s a must have. If they go in as armed robbers, they get paroled as armed robbers, they reoffend as armed robbers, and the evidence has shown this”.

Mr Keogh said the re-established unit should work closely with parole officers on the Gold Coast and be responsible for investigating both adult and juvenile armed robbery offences.