Police located a man hiding in the river before he swam to an island and climbed a tree. Photo: Shri Gayathirie Rajen.
Police are continuing their search for one of three men involved in an incident at Wagga’s Wilks Park that allegedly left one man stabbed and another shot.
The operation continued long into the night after one man fled the scene, jumped in the river and climbed a tree on an island when police attempted to detain him.
In a statement, NSW Police confirmed that a “man remains under police guard in hospital following a stabbing and shooting”.
The 33-year-old is believed to have suffered a gunshot wound after he allegedly stabbed a 42-year-old man with a pair of scissors.
Riverina Police District officers were called to Wilks Park in North Wagga at around 12:30 pm yesterday (10 October), following reports of a shooting.
Campers told Region that they had heard two loud bangs.
“A lady said she heard a gunshot,” one witness said. “We told her it was probably a bloke cracking the whip, but she said: ‘It definitely was a gunshot’.
“The next minute, a bloke came running out covered in blood and went tearing over there,” they said, pointing to the southern section of the camping ground.
When police arrived at the campground on the northern side of the river, they were told that a 42-year-old man had allegedly been stabbed with a pair of scissors by a 33-year-old man before the 33-year-old was shot by a third man who left the scene.
The first man had also left the scene and later presented himself at Wagga Wagga Base Hospital, suffering a wound to his neck.
Riverina Police District officers and detectives converged at Wilks Park following an alleged shooting. Photo: Shri Gayathirie Rajen.
A police operation was launched, nearby roads were closed and officers soon located the 33-year-old man in the Murrumbidgee River a short distance away from Wilks Park.
He refused to come out of the water and instead swam to an island and climbed a tree where he remained into the night.
The standoff continued until around 2 am today (Friday 11 October) when the man was finally arrested and taken to a hospital where he remains under police guard in stable condition.
Police established a crime scene and located the firearm which is believed to have been used in the incident.
The 42-year-old was treated for the wound to his neck and was released this morning.
Inquiries continue into the whereabouts of the third man allegedly involved.
Anyone with information, CCTV or dashcam footage is urged to call Riverina police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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