May 28, 2025
Police have arrested a 25-year-old South Burnett man wanted in connection with Wednesday morning’s shooting alert in Kingaroy.
The man was taken into custody about 1:30pm on Wednesday in Foleys Road at Goodger after police tracked an allegedly stolen Subaru.
Darling Downs District Officer Superintendent Douglas McDonald said police were called about 4:00am after reports a man had shot a number of rounds from a high-powered rifle into a house in Arthur Street, Kingaroy.
He said the incident was possibly linked to domestic violence.
A woman allegedly involved was “safe and well” and was receiving support from police.
Other people in the house at the time were also assisting police with their inquiries.
“Very early on we were able to identify a person of interest,” Supt McDonald said.
The man was known to police and it will be alleged he was wanted in relation to a number of other matters.
Police tried to convince the man to come into the police station peacefully.
“We had been speaking to him throughout the day but it will be alleged that he was actively avoiding police,” Supt McDonald said.
While the search was continuing, police took precautionary actions in Kingaroy.
“(Kingaroy) hospital was put into a partial lockdown and restricted some of its normal operations there,” Supt McDonald said.
The nearby St Mary’s Catholic College also co-operated with police and went into lockdown.
“No students attended school there today,” he said.
“These strategies were put in place to make sure the community was safe while we were looking for this person of interest.
“This afternoon we located that person of interest … and it will be alleged that he was found in possession of a number of high-powered rifles that we believe were stolen from a break-and-enter during the previous 24 hours.”
Supt McDonald said local police had received support from the Special Emergency Response Team, Polair and the Kingaroy community.
“Very early (Wednesday) morning we put out some information to the community about a vehicle of interest that we were seeking and we received significant help from that,” he said.
“I am very impressed with the efforts; all our officers and the community pulled together to apprehend this person of interest.”
Supt McDonald said investigations were continuing, and a number of search warrants were being executed in the South Burnett.
No one was physically injured during the incident in Arthur Street or during the arrest.
Kingaroy CIB officer-in-charge Detective Sergeant Scott Prendergast said he wanted to pass on his deepest thanks to the South Burnett community for their co-operation and support during Wednesday’s incident.
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