Two teenagers have been charged and another cautioned after cars were hit by bullets during a shooting incident in a small Queensland town.
Four teenage boys were taken into custody on Wednesday night after police locked down the centre of Tara after shots were fired at a vehicle that afternoon.
It is the second time in just over a month that the Western Downs town of about 2000 people has been rocked by a shooting incident.
Tara is about 60km from Wieambilla, the town where two Tara-based police officers and a local man were killed in a shocking ambush in December.
Police made an emergency declaration in Tara about 5.30pm on Wednesday after responding to reports that shots had been fired at a car on Smallacombe St about 3.30pm.
Authorities revoked the declaration later that night after officers arrested four teenage boys – aged 14, 15 and two 16-year-olds – who were found at a house on Day St.
Two of the boys are brothers and all of them are known to authorities and each other, police have said.
Police said three cars were shot at before the teens were arrested, including one that pulled up next to a police cordon outside the Day St property.
No one was injured in the incident.
Queensland Police Acting Superintendent Ray Vine said on Thursday morning the 16-year-olds had been charged with multiple offences, the 14-year-old cautioned under the Youth Justice Act and the 15-year-old released without charge.
Superintendent Vine said the 16-year-olds would appear at Dalby Children’s Court later on Thursday.
He said the two alleged offenders had declined to be interviewed by police.
“In terms of the actual motivation at this stage, it is still unclear,” Superintendent Vine told reporters.
He said shots were discharged “in the vicinity of police”, but there was no suggestion at this stage of the investigation that the alleged offenders were actively targeting police.
During the lockdown on Wednesday evening, some Tara residents were evacuated while others were forced to shelter in businesses for hours.
The Commercial Hotel was used as an evacuation centre, with locals gathered inside hiding from the danger, a worker who asked not to be identified told NCA NewsWire.
“Apparently, there were shots fired, we’re not sure what’s going on at the moment,” the staff member said on Wednesday evening.
The incident comes after Queensland Police constables Rachel McCrow, 29, and Matthew Arnold, 26, were gunned down in nearby Wieambilla on December 12.
The young officers were among a group of police that was ambushed upon arriving at a property to follow up on a missing person’s report.
Conspiracy theorists Nathaniel Train, his brother Gareth Train and his wife Stacey Train were armed and met the group of police with gunfire, killing the two officers and a neighbour who came to help.
The Trains were killed later that day in a shootout with tactical officers after an hours-long standoff at the property.
Superintendent Vine said on Thursday several officers who were involved in the Wieambilla incident also responded to the shooting in Tara on Wednesday.
“We’re providing them with support and welfare and counselling if they need it,” he said.
“But I’d just like to sort of say that their heroics and their resolve to protect the community and maintain community safety, given the events of 5½ weeks ago, is remarkable.”