OFF THE WIRE
Amy Remeikis
brisbanetimes.com.au
Worst-case scenario … a woman shot in bikie-related violence lies on the floor, while police investigate. Photo: Nine News
THE outlaw motorcycle gang war in Queensland escalated into what police yesterday called "the worst possible scenario", with a woman who was an innocent bystander shot inside a busy Gold Coast shopping centre.
The 45-year-old woman was taken to hospital in a stable condition suffering from what a Queensland Ambulance spokesman said was a gunshot wound to the pelvis.The man police believe was the intended victim, a 40-year-old they say has links to a bikie gang, was shot in the left biceps.
The injured man has been identified by police sources as Jacques Teamo, who is known to have a long history with the Bandidos motorcycle gang and owns the East Coast Ink tattoo parlour at Mermaid Beach.
Four shots were fired at the tattoo parlour early last Tuesday in what police believe was part of an escalating feud.
Yesterday's shootings took place at the Robina Town Centre just before 2pm. The gunman, described by hundreds of terrified shoppers as being of Pacific Islander or Maori appearance with a "significant" tattoo on his neck, had not been found last night, even though police locked down the centre within minutes of the first gunshot.
The Police Commissioner, Bob Atkinson, called the bikie violence "the worst he had seen in Queensland. I am very concerned about what we have seen in the space of less than a week''.
"We've seen shots fired into a tattoo parlour on the Gold Coast; we've seen what we possibly believe is a car set fire to here in Brisbane; there have been incidents on Thursday where two men were attacked by men in balaclavas armed with baseball bats; we've seen what we suspect was an attempt to fire shots late at night at the clubhouse of the Gypsy Jokers at Everton Hills and now we have this today," he said.
Witnesses to the shooting reported hearing two gunshots. Lyn Searles said she had been shopping on the level above where the shootings occurred when she heard the first shot. "It was a distinct, very loud gunshot and everyone just froze," she said.
"Then there was another shot and it was pandemonium. Everyone panicked and just ran for the fire doors. Children were separated from their parents and just stood there crying. No one knew what had happened. We just knew there were gunshots.''
Another woman said she saw the gunman approach Mr Teamo and say "F--- you", then pull out the gun.
She said the woman appeared to have accidentally stepped in between the two men and was shot.
Mr Atkinson said while there had been bikie violence across Queensland and the nation in recent years, it was usually kept behind closed doors.
The escalation of the violence "into a public place, with a firearm and a potentially innocent member of the public being shot and other members of the public terrified and potentially put at risk", shone a light on how dangerous the gangs really were, he said.
Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/bikie-mayhem-rocks-mall-20120428-1xs7g.html#ixzz1tTxX1B5a