12PM – 59YO NEIGHBOUR EXPECTED TO BE CHARGED
A 59-year-old neighbour of the family killed in a brutal shooting at Bogie on Thursday morning remains in police custody and is expected to be charged later today.
Mackay Detective Inspector Tom Armitt revealed further details of the tragic shooting, which saw Mervyn and Maree Schwarz and her son – Graham Tighe – fatally shot at the cattle property.
Ross Tighe – Graham’s brother and Maree’s son – was shot in the abdomen and flown to Mackay Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery overnight.
“Yesterday around 9am, police received information a man had been shot and three other people had been fatally shot at a property in Bogie. The wounded man fled the scene and contacted police. He was later located by police 40km away for where the shooting took place,” Insp Armitt says.
Insp Armitt says overnight, five people were questioned by police.
But only the 59-year-old neighbour remains in custody.
Police say he is a long-time resident of the area, and the shooting is believed to have arisen from a neighbourhood dispute.
A conversation had happened the night before, which was why the two families met on Thursday morning, but Insp Armitt could not provide any further details as to the nature of the conversation.
“What I can say is that there was an invitation for them to go there and discuss,” Insp Armitt says.
“It will be alleged that he was located on the property in question by police later on.”
Insp Armitt praised a small team of police officers who risked their lives yesterday amid reports the gunman was armed with a rifle.
“The crime scene is approximately 2.5 hours from Bowen and 1.5 hours from Collinsville. The distance between the two properties is a 45-minute drive and it is a 3km drive from the front gate to the house on the property,” he says.
“A small team of police who drove forward into the crime scene at that time not knowing whether the offender was present or not, putting their lives in great danger.”
Maree and Mervyn Schwarz – Facebook
10AM – FAMILY KILLED IN BOGIE SHOOTING IDENTIFIED
The people shot dead on Thursday morning have been identified as Mervyn Harold Schwarz and Maree Anne Schwarz.
Mervyn and Maree Schwarz and her son – Graham Tighe – were fatally shot at a cattle property in Bogie.
Graham’s brother – Ross Tighe – remains in hospital after undergoing emergency surgery.
8.30AM – ALLEGED GUNMAN IN CUSTODY
A suspected gunman has been taken into custody after an alleged shooting at a rural Bogie property that left three family members dead.
A family of four was allegedly shot, three fatally, with one survivor able to flee the scene with gunshot wounds to his stomach.
Police are speaking with three people in relation to the shooting, one of those is the alleged shooter.
Mackay District Superintendent Tom Armitt says the “person who’s been nominated for that offence is with us here in custody”, but stressed that no charges had been laid, and the investigation is ongoing.
Supt Armitt also indicated the parties involved in the incident are neighbours.
He says the one survivor from the shooting was able to provide additional details overnight after undergoing emergency surgery at Mackay Hospital.
The emergency declaration under the Public Safety Preservation Act for a property on Shannonvale Road at Bogie was revoked at 10.06pm on Thursday, August 4.
UPDATE FRIDAY 6.00AM – FIVE PEOPLE ASSISTING POLICE WITH INVESTIGATIONS
UPDATE THURSDAY 3.30PM – THREE DEAD, ONE CRITICAL, SHOOTER ON THE RUN
Three people are dead, another is in critical condition and a gunman remains on the run after an alleged shooting at a rural property at Bogie, police have confirmed.
The shooting happened about 9am on Thursday after police received reports that multiple people had been shot.
A man was found soon after in a vehicle at Flagstone “many, many kilometres” away from the crime scene, which he fled from, with a gunshot wound to the abdomen.
He informed police of the shooting and was flown to Mackay Hospital where he is undergoing emergency surgery.
Mackay District Superintendent Tom Armitt says the man was in a “distressed state” and there was some confusion over where the shooting had happened.
The three bodies were later found dead on the Shannovale Rd property.
Police believe all involved are family members.
“We believe the person who has shot them may be in the area, which is why we’re conducting our own searches at this present time,” Supt Armitt says.
“We are conducting a clearance of the property.
“Obviously in an area where you have a rural property, there’s firearms involved we need to establish our own safety.”
After police spoke with the man, officers made an emergency declaration under the Public Safety Preservation Act at 11.30am at a property of Sutherland Road.
After deeming the area safe and a further exclusion zone was established at a property along Shannonvale Road where the shooting is believed to have happened.
Police describe the terrain in the area as hilly and heavily forested.
Investigations remain ongoing into the circumstances leading up to the shooting.
Police are currently conducting emergency operations in the area and requesting members of the public and aircraft to not attend the declared location.
UPDATE THURSDAY 3PM
Police have revoked an emergency declaration made off Sutherland Road under the Public Safety Preservation Act and set up a new declaration on Shannonvale Road.
Police responding to reports of a shooting of multiple people have determined a new location for where the incident is believed to have happened.
Shannonvale Rd, Bogie is about 20km north east of Sutherland Rd.
UPDATE: THURSDAY 12:30PM
An area north west of Mackay has been locked down by police after an alleged shooting with the shooter still on the loose.
One male has been flown to Mackay Hospital after suffering a reported gunshot wound to the stomach.
The alleged shooting took place at a rural property at Bogie near Collinsville.
Police made an emergency declaration at 11.30am requesting the public and aircraft to not enter the area encompassing Sutherland Road, Normanby Road, Mount Compton Road and Starvation Creek.
UPDATE: THURSDAY 11.45AM – POLICE DECLARE PSPA
Police have made an emergency declaration under the Public Safety Preservation Act (PSPA) due to a reported shooting at Bogie near Collinsville.
The declaration was made at approximately 11.30am with boundaries encompassing Sutherland Road, Normanby Road, Mount Compton Road and Starvation Creek.
Police are currently responding to reports of a shooting of multiple people on a rural property.
UPDATE: THURSDAY 11AM – ONE MAN BEING TREATED FOR GUNSHOT WOUND
One man is being treated for a gunshot wound to the stomach after reports of a shooting at a rural property near Collinsville.
Police say they are currently responding to reports of a shooting of multiple people.
The male suffering a gunshot wound was found some distance from the property.
“Police are currently conducting emergency operations in the area and requesting members of the public and aircraft to not attend the location,” a Queensland Police statement read.
Initial reports suggested the incident happened in Bogie, north-east of Collinsville.
Police are currently responding to reports of a shooting of multiple people on a rural property near Collinsville. One male has been located some distance from the property and is currently being treated for a gunshot wound. pic.twitter.com/WdNzjc2FuT
— Queensland Police (@QldPolice) August 4, 2022
EARLIER
There are reports that up to four people have been injured in an alleged shooting incident at Bogie, north west of Mackay.
A Queensland Ambulance Service spokesperson confirmed multiple crews are en route to the location, about 40km west of Bowen.
More to come.
Images: Facebook, QPS
