Geraldton man charged after shooting leaves victim with leg wound in WA's Midwest
Quick Look
- Police charged a 30-year-old Geraldton man with unlawful endangerment and evidence destruction after a shooting in Moonyoonooka left a man with a serious leg wound.
- The victim is recovering in hospital while armed police arrested five people in Utakarra, with three believed involved in the incident.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Police responded to a shooting in the early hours of Wednesday near Moonyoonooka, east of Geraldton, where a man was found with a gunshot wound to his leg before 1am. Armed officers from the Tactical Response Group swarmed a property in Utakarra, leading to five arrests.
Police have charged a Geraldton man in relation to a shooting that left a man with a bullet wound to his leg in WA's Midwest.
The victim was shot in the early hours of Wednesday morning near Moonyoonooka, just east of Geraldton.
He was found with the gunshot wound just before 1am and is recovering in Geraldton Regional Hospital with serious injuries.
The shooting saw armed police fan out across Geraldton, eventually honing in on a property in the nearby suburb of Utakarra.
Stunned neighbours watched as heavily armed officers from the Tactical Response Group swarmed the house, with five people taken into custody.
A 30-year-old man from the suburb of Wonthella has since been charged with an unlawful act or omission endangering a person's life, health or safety, along with wilfully destroying evidence.
He is due to face the Geraldton Magistrates Court today.
Yesterday, Acting Superintendent Ben Huggett said some of the five people who had been arrested were released, but would not confirm how many remained in custody.
He said three people were believed to be involved in the shooting, but it was early in the investigation, and details were still being firmed up.
Police have declined to reveal any details about the incident or what led to it, but confirmed the alleged shooter and victim are known to each other.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The 30-year-old man from Wonthella will face the Geraldton Magistrates Court for the charges of unlawful endangerment and evidence destruction.
Very likely · Within days
Police will continue to investigate the shooting and may release further details as the investigation progresses.
Likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- What was the motive behind the shooting?
- What is the relationship between the alleged shooter and the victim?
- What evidence was allegedly destroyed?
- How many of the five arrested individuals remain in custody?