Man shot dead, two wounded in Northern Rivers ‘property dispute’

The brutal killing of a man shot in the head on a remote farm on the NSW-Queensland border is believed to have been sparked by a property dispute in which another man was shot in the back, one hit by a ute, and another arrested after hours on the run.

Police are now trying to piece together the bizarre chain of events at Tyalgum Road, Eungella, about 10 kilometres west of Murwillumbah in the NSW Northern Rivers.

Emergency services faced confronting scenes when responding to a Triple Zero call just after 1pm on Wednesday, discovering a 41-year-old man dead and a 38-year-old with a gunshot wound at the entrance to the property. Both were residents at the address.

The suspected shooter, a 45-year-old man known to the two victims, fled the scene with a handgun. However, he only got 200 metres before he was hit by a ute, believed to have been driven by the 38-year-old, and suffered a broken arm and leg.

His alleged accomplice Mark Brown, 36, was tracked down in nearby bushland about 6.40pm after more than five hours on the run. He was charged with murder, and will next face court on February 17 after being formally refused bail in court on Thursday.

The 45-year-old is under police guard in Gold Coast University Hospital, and is expected to be extradited to NSW once he is discharged.

The 38-year-old was transferred to Gold Coast University Hospital after initially presenting himself at Murwillumbah Hospital, and is in a stable condition.

Both men in hospital are expected to be interviewed by police on Thursday afternoon.

Tweed and Byron Police District acting Commander Matthew Zimmer said the “burning of a caravan” was among the issues believed to have fuelled the dispute between the two parties.

“There is some pre-planning, some interactions with these people beforehand, which has led to this incident,” Zimmer said.

“Part of our investigation indicates there may be a connection to a caravan fire, and a dispute over some property … we need to speak to these two individuals who are in hospital.”

Some of those involved in Wednesday’s shooting, including the suspected shooter, are known to police.

The ute that collided with the suspected shooter was unattended when emergency services arrived. Zimmer said police were yet to establish the identity of the driver, but were “confident” the driver was connected to the property.

The handgun used in the shooting is yet to be recovered, though Zimmer believes it is in the “vicinity” of where the suspected shooter was hit. Further searches to find the firearm would take place on Thursday.

Assistant Commissioner Dave Waddell told 2GB that the 20 police officers attending the property found a “very confusing and chaotic scene” on Wednesday.

“We’ll definitely be speaking to both the two persons that are in hospital,” Waddell said. “It’s still early days in terms of investigation, but yeah, it appears a dispute over property.”

Get alerts on breaking news as it happens. Sign up for our Breaking News Alert.