A 17-year-old is fighting for his life after being shot in the back during what police allege was a targeted attack on a South Hobart home early this morning.
Detectives believe the teenager was one of five people who went to a Syme Street property on Monday with the intention of committing an unlawful act.
The resident allegedly shot him with an unregistered 12-gauge shotgun as the group tried to force their way inside.
“From investigations so far we believe that the males have attempted to enter the residence, they have been unsuccessful and then have fled the scene shortly after a shot was fired,” Detective Inspector David Gill said.
The teenager was not taken to hospital by ambulance.
Instead, his “associates” drove him to the Royal Hobart Hospital and “essentially left [him] there”, Detective Inspector Gill said.
He remains in a critical condition following surgery and has not yet been able to speak with police.
A 25-year-old South Hobart man was arrested within four hours of the 1:20am incident.
He has been charged with committing an unlawful act with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, aggravated assault and firearms offences. He is due to face the Hobart Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
Police are still investigating what drove the group to target the home, but believe it may stem from a road rage incident two days earlier.
“Investigations are still ongoing in relation to the motive,” Detective Inspector Gill said.
No charges have been laid against the other four people allegedly involved, but police are appealing for public assistance.
The shooting marks the fourth firearms incident in Tasmania since late December.
Detective Inspector Gill acknowledged community concern but said the case was “definitely not related” to recent shootings in Hobart’s northern suburbs.
“We take firearm crime or any firearms offences extremely seriously,” he said.
“It’s one of our main priorities and that’s why we continually receive intelligence and we act on that intelligence conducting searches.”
Detective Inspector Gill said the swift arrest highlighted that commitment.
“This incident that occurred in the early hours this morning, the male person in relation to that, the offender, was arrested within four hours and he’s actually now been charged within 12 hours of the crime being committed,” he said.
“That, I think, underscores the commitment we have to responding to these incidents in a very timely manner.”
The recovered shotgun was not registered. Police declined to say whether the accused held a firearms licence, citing the ongoing court matter.
Detective Inspector Gill said the situation “could become a lot worse”.
“This young man is still in a critical condition. The outcome of what’s occurred is still not known,” he said.
