The second man involved in the alleged Wilks Park stabbing and shooting faced Wagga Wagga Local Court. Photo: Shri Gayathirie Rajen.
A 35-year-old Kooringal man allegedly involved in an altercation in Wilks Park that involved a stabbing and shooting was arrested and charged over the weekend following a 10-hour standoff with police.
The case was heard in Wagga Wagga Local Court on Monday (14 October). Court documents revealed he was charged with shooting with intent to murder, possessing a shortened firearm without authority, acquiring a prohibited firearm under a firearms prohibition order, and using an offensive weapon to prevent lawful detention.
The man did not apply for bail, and it was formally denied by Magistrate Gareth Christofi.
Police said Riverina Police District officers were called to Wilks Park, North Wagga Wagga, about 12:30 pm following reports of a shooting last Thursday (10 October).
Upon arrival, police were informed that a 42-year-old man had allegedly been stabbed with a pair of scissors by a 33-year-old man before the younger man was allegedly shot by the defendant, who then fled the scene.
Before police arrived, the 42-year-old man had left the park and later presented himself to Wagga Wagga Base Hospital, suffering from a neck wound. He was treated and released on Friday.
Police located the 33-year-old man in the Murrumbidgee River, a short distance from Wilks Park. However, he refused to surrender, instead swimming to an island and climbing a tree.
Following a police operation, the man was arrested about 2 am on Friday and taken to a hospital, where he remains under police guard in a stable condition. He was later charged with wounding a person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Police established a crime scene and recovered a firearm and a pair of scissors, both believed to have been used in the park incident. The items were seized and will be forensically examined.
Following further inquiries, officers attended a hotel on the Sturt Highway, Gumly Gumly, and attempted to speak to the man around 12:30 pm on Saturday (12 October).
He allegedly refused to leave the room, leading to a police operation involving local officers and specialists including the Tactical Operations Unit and police negotiators.
About 10 pm, police entered the room and deployed a Taser to arrest the man after he allegedly produced a knife.
He was taken to Wagga Wagga Base Hospital for assessment and later transferred to Wagga Wagga police station on Sunday.
The 35-year-old is set to face Wagga Wagga Local Court on 11 December, while the 33-year-old is scheduled to appear in the same court on 16 October.
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