Manhunt on Bribie Island after woman shot in Rothwell

Police have captured one of the two men wanted over the shooting of a woman north of Brisbane.

Heavily armed police at Bribie Island, Queensland, on Thursday. Picture: Rohmana Thompson

Police have captured one of the two men wanted over the shooting of a woman north of Brisbane on Thursday morning.

The man — who caused the emergency lockdown of Bribie Island, off the southeast Queensland coast — was captured at Bellara along Sylvan Beach Esplanade at 4pm after evading police for several hours.

Another man involved in the shooting at nearby Rothwell remained at large.

Police said they knew the identity of the wanted men, who each knew the victim and dropped her off at a family member’s house to receive medical treatment.

Inspector Bob Hytch said the men were in a heated argument when the shot was fired and the woman was then taken to a residence in Rothwell.

PSPA declared on Bribie Island: Specialist police are on scene and members of the community are asked to avoid the area as they respond. #7NEWS https://t.co/ZVGUjN7aGz

— 7NEWS Sunshine Coast (@7NewsSC) October 1, 2020

He said one man was tracked to Bribie Island, northeast of Brisbane, where, despite police locking down streets and conducting an extensive search, he slipped through their net for more than six hours.

The firearm allegedly used in the shooting has been recovered and was possible that the incident was an accident, Inspector Hytch said.

“We are appealing for the men to hand themselves in. They know we are looking for them. They are eventually going to be found,” he said.

Police in a patrol car spotted one of the men but he jumped “a number of fences” to escape.

Inspector Hytch said the incident was not gang-related and one of the men was known to police in regards to property matters.

The drama started when paramedics were called to a residence in Kelliher St, Rothwell, about 7.45am where the woman had been “shot in the back”. She was taken to hospital in a serious condition, a Queensland Ambulance Service representative said.

Police then tracked a vehicle to Bribie Island, about 20km northeast of Rothwell, where the Public Safety Preservation Act was declared at 10.45am.

Specialist police were on scene and members of the community were asked to avoid the area. Local roads had been blocked.

Insp Hytch said the woman would undergo surgery on Thursday afternoon and, while she was in a serious condition, she was expected to survive.

Police form a roadblock on Bribie Island where they are searching for two men following a shooting this morning at Rothwell. Picture: Channel 7