Police have charged a 59-year-old man with the murders of three people who were gunned down at their rural property in the Whitsundays and the attempted murder of a fourth man.
Married couple Mervyn, 71, and Maree Schwarz, 59, and their son Graham Tinge, 35, were shot and killed at their cattle farm in Bogie, about 35 minutes south-west of Bowen on Thursday morning.
Their other son, Ross, was shot in the abdomen and bleeding heavily, but managed to flee the scene in a ute and notify police.
He underwent emergency surgery at MacKay Base Hospital on Thursday night and has been well enough to speak to detectives.
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Police charged the family’s 59-year-old neighbor with three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder on Friday.
Mackay Detective Inspector Tom Armitt told reporters alleged the offender and four victims had arranged to meet that morning.
“What we do know is that all parties are neighbours, some conversation has occurred between the parties and resulted in a meeting up at the parties’ boundary line earlier that morning when the incident occurred,” he said.
“We understand that there was a conversation the night before and that was the reason they met the next morning.
“What I can say is that there was an invitation for them to go there and discuss.”
Police said the distance between the properties is about a 45-minute drive.
The Schwarz family purchased the property in the last 12 months, Detective Armitt said, while their 59-year-old neighbor is a long-term resident.
He will appear in the Proserpine Magistrates Court on Monday, August 8.
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