_ct140x105.jpg "AND SO IT BEGINS: The clean up around town has already started, people armed with brooms and buckets have taken to the Gladstone Valley Square Shopping Centre to flush out the floodwater and mess.")
SHOTGUN SPREE: Police phones ran hot from terrified community
Gympie police have described a terrifying nine hour spree in which a 28-year-old man allegedly pointed a shotgun at someone and let off more than a dozen rounds across the region as “targeted” and a “one off”.
The Southside man, who will face 10 charges in the Gympie court today, including dangerous conduct with a weapon, allegedly went on his spree after an argument with another person at a Gympie hotel about 5.30pm on Saturday.
Detective Inspector Rob Lowry said at a press conference earlier today (Monday) that following the argument the man visited several locations across the region, including two homes, a work site and a national park.
During this, he allegedly unloaded about 16 rounds from the shotgun at different places and gained entry to a worksite by ramming it with the front of the black Holden Commodore he was driving.
He was found near a Rainbow Beach forestry track by police about 2am on Sunday.
Mr Lowry today said the man’s alleged actions were “appalling, very dangerous and very concerning, and completely out of character and out of proportion from what the context of the argument has been reported to us”.
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He said the Gympie Police Station’s phones were “running hot” with calls from concerned community members throughout the spree, which would “strike fear into the hearts of the community”.
However he described the alleged behaviour as which is “a one off incident” that was specifically targeted.
“It’s not a random attack.”
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Although the man’s alleged “shots have not been fired at any person”, Mr Lowry said it was still lucky no-one was hurt by being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Mr Lowry said the 28-year-old assisted police with their investigation following his arrest, taking them to where he had left the shotgun allegedly used.
Police were still investigating whether the man obtained the shotgun illegally.
Mr Lowry said “it was at his home address and inside his gun safe”.
