A man accused of sho.o.ting two people, kil.ling one, was reportedly a years-long friend of the alleged victims who got in an argument with them over a caravan.
Mark Gary Brown, 36, was hunted down by sniffer dogs and arrested in remote bushland near the Tweed River on the NSW-Queensland border about 6.40pm on Wednesday. He is not accused of being the gunman, but allegedly accompanied him.
He and another man had allegedly fled from a property on Tyalgum Road in Eungella, 10km west of Murwillumbah, following a shooting about 1.25pm on Wednesday.
It’s understood Brown and the other man, 45, met with Scott Hanby, 41, and his cousin Dean Dobbs, 38, on the property when a dispute broke out over a caravan, which had been set alight earlier in the day.
The man accompanying Brown then allegedly shot Mr Hanby in the head with a handgun at point-blank range.
Mr Dobbs attempted to run but was allegedly shot in the back.
Brown and the alleged gunman are accused of fleeing the scene, but Mr Dobbs allegedly chased them in a ute, hitting the 45-year-old 200m from the initial crime scene.
It’s understood Brown waited for emergency services to arrive before heading to Murwillumbah Hospital. He was later transported to Gold Coast University Hospital.
Scott Hanby (left) was allegedly fatally shot at a property in Eungella on Wednesday afternoon. His cousin Dean Dobbs (right) was allegedly shot in the back and survived
NSW Police were called to the property about 1.25pm on Wednesday after an alleged shooting broke out over a caravan dispute
He remains in a stable condition.
Paramedics attempted to treat Mr Hanby but he died at the scene.
The 45-year-old man hit by the car was taken to hospital under police guard.
‘He has been arrested by virtue of an arrest warrant for murder,’ Acting Superintendent Matthew Zimmer said on Thursday.
‘He will remain under police guard until he is in a position to be released from hospital and extradited to NSW.’
Police found Brown five hours after the alleged shooting with the help of sniffer dogs. He was hiding in bushland roughly one kilometre from the Tyalgum Road property.
Brown was taken to Tweed Heads Police Station and charged with murder. He was refused bail on Thursday.
‘Obviously there is some interaction with these people beforehand, which has led to this incident,’ Superintendent Zimmer said.
Mark Gary Brown was arrested (pictured) more than five hours after the alleged shooting and charged with murder. He is not accused of pulling the trigger.
Police are still searching for the firearm allegedly used (pictured, the crime scene on Wednesday)
Shocked neighbours claimed to have heard gunshots on the property on Tuesday.
Multiple crime scenes were established. It’s understood the weapon from the alleged shooting has not yet been recovered.
The 45-year-old man remains in hospital on the Gold Coast with fractures to his arms and legs.
Tweed Shire Mayor Chris Cherry said the community was reeling.
‘It’s a tragedy for our small community … You just wouldn’t expect something like this to happen there,’ she told the ABC.
‘Everyone just wants to know what happened. Obviously people are flocking around the families of the people involved.
‘Band together, look after the families and remember that violence is never the answer and let’s come together as a community to support those people.’