Four men have been charged following a disturbing series of alleged drive-by slingshot attacks that targeted unsuspecting pedestrians across Brisbane's western suburbs.
Queensland Police allege the group used handmade slingshots to fire metal projectiles from a moving vehicle during multiple incidents between May 27 and May 31. The attacks reportedly occurred without warning, leaving several victims injured and shaken.
According to investigators, the first incidents took place on May 27 in Paddington and Toowong, where a 22-year-old woman was allegedly struck in the forehead and a 36-year-old woman suffered injuries to her hand after being hit by metal objects fired from the passing vehicle.
Police allege the attacks continued several days later. On the evening of May 31, a 53-year-old man was struck in the back in Toowong, while a 64-year-old woman was allegedly hit in the jaw in St Lucia. Authorities believe there could be additional victims who have not yet come forward.
The investigation took a significant turn shortly after 11pm on May 31, when officers intercepted a Hyundai i30 on Chapel Hill Road in Chapel Hill. During a search of the vehicle, police allegedly discovered two handmade slingshots, two pocket-shot-style devices and a set of knuckle dusters. Two occupants of the car were detained at the scene.
Subsequent searches at residential properties in Redbank Plains and Forest Lake allegedly uncovered items linked to the assaults, along with a quantity of cannabis and drug utensils.
As a result of the investigation, three 19-year-old men and one 20-year-old man have been charged with a range of offences. The charges include assault occasioning bodily harm, serious assault of a person over 60, common assault, unlawful possession of weapons, and discharging a weapon in a public place.
One 19-year-old man from Redbank Plains was refused bail and is scheduled to appear before Brisbane Magistrates Court on June 23. The remaining three accused men, from Chapel Hill and Forest Lake, were granted bail and are due to appear before the same court on June 22.
Police continue to investigate the incidents and are urging anyone who may have been struck by an object thrown or fired from a vehicle in the affected suburbs to contact investigators.
The case has shocked many Queensland residents, with authorities describing the alleged incidents as both reckless and dangerous. The investigation remains ongoing, and further charges have not been ruled out.
