Logan drive-by shooting: Father’s anguish over lead-up to tragedy

A Logan father has recounted his frantic rush to his son’s side over the weekend after receiving the unthinkable news he had just been shot in an alleged late-night drive-by shooting.

Logan father Shibly Mustapha outside Brisbane Magistrates Court on March 19 after his son was shot by a projectile over the weekend. Picture: Nicola McNamara

A Logan father has recounted his frantic rush to his son’s side over the weekend after receiving the unthinkable news he had just been shot in an alleged late-night drive-by shooting.

Shibly Mustapha’s 20-year-old son currently remains in hospital, stable and awaiting surgery after being struck by a projectile on Logan Rd, Underwood just after midnight on Saturday, March 15.

Mr Mustapha told The Courier-Mail he had only just gotten home from spending the evening with his son and other family at a restaurant – and earlier a local mosque, as it is the month of Ramadan – when his wife received a phone call telling them their son had been shot.

Mr Mustapha said that at first they “didn’t know what to believe”, having only just left their son around 20 minutes before the incident.

“I just jumped in the car and drove down there,” Mr Mustapha said.

“There was an ambulance, there were police everywhere, there were witnesses giving statements … There was just a lot of hysteria.”

“I was met by a policeman telling me that (my son) had been hit by some sort of projectile.”

Mr Mustapha said not being allowed inside the ambulance to see his son as they treated him – not knowing what was happening inside – was “probably the longest few minutes of (his) life”.

“Nothing made sense at that stage.”

Shibly Mustapha’s son was shot with a projectile as he was walking along Logan Rd, Underwood just after midnight on Saturday, March 15.

Mr Mustapha followed after the ambulance as they transferred his son to hospital, where he said medical staff found the projectile had penetrated from the left side of his son’s lower chest and travelled across to the right side – just across from his spine.

“We’re just very grateful and blessed that it didn’t go through the spine and it didn’t go through any vital organs,” Mr Mustapha said.

“ … Had that projectile travelled a few inches one way or the other, had he turned his torso one way or the other, it could have gone straight through his heart, through his spine.”

“When we think about the ifs that’s when we really start to get emotional.”

Mr Mustapha said his son was now stable and awaiting a second surgery to remove the projectile, following a failed first attempt under local anaesthetic.

Police have since charged 23-year-old Kingston resident Brooklyn Te-Hake Henare Ruatara with three counts of acts intended to cause grievous bodily harm in relation to the incident.

Mr Mustapha attended court this morning to face his son’s alleged attacker, but the matter was only briefly mentioned and adjourned to Friday.

Outside of court, he said the family was still processing “mixed feelings”, and struggling with lingering questions about why his son had been attacked.

“We’ve got feelings of distress and angst and we’re very much wanting to see the outcome from this series of events,” Mr Mustapha said.

“ … We’re all sitting here wondering why this was done.”

Mr Mustapha said he was grateful for the support he had received from the Muslim community, many of whom he said were feeling vulnerable following the attack – despite any current evidence surrounding motive.

The accused shooter, Brooklyn Te-Hake Henare Ruatara had his matter briefly mentioned in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Wednesday, but did not appear in person.

Ruatara made no application for bail and was remanded in custody.

He is charged with three counts of acts intended to cause grievous bodily harm, two breaches of bail, and one count each of unlawful use of motor vehicles (used to commit an indictable offence) at night, wilful damage of police property, fraud, trespass, and unlawful use of motor vehicles.

His matter was adjourned to Friday, March 21, and he is expected to appear in person on that day.

Originally published as Logan drive-by shooting: Father’s anguish over lead-up to tragedy