A young girl who witnessed her mother being shot in her Queensland driveway is struggling to come to terms with the “devastating” incident.
Natalie Jane Frahm, 34, was sitting in her car in the driveway of her Robb Place home in South Mackay when she was allegedly killed by her neighbour Ryan Geoffrey Cole, 31, about 4.30pm on Wednesday.
The young mum was in the vehicle with her 11-year-old daughter, and the child’s 12-year-old friend who were “heading out to some sort of sporting activity” at the time, according to police.
Mr Cole, who lived on the same street as Ms Frahm but was unknown to her, allegedly approached the 34-year-old and fired a bullet from a “revolver-style weapon”.
Police allege the two girls, who were uninjured, managed to escape and sought help from neighbour James McGill, 66, who was then also allegedly shot by Mr Cole.
He sustained non-life-threatening wounds to his hand and sternum and was taken to Mackay Base Hospital in a serious but stable condition.
Police are still trying to determine the motives behind the shooting.
Tiffany Mulligan, who knew Ms Frahm from the Mang-gon Thai boxing gym, told The Courier Mail, she has spoken to her friend’s young daughter following the tragedy.
“I called her earlier, and you know, she understandably, like, she just saw that happen to her mother, so her emotions are not really processing right now,” she told the publication.
“She didn’t really have any emotions, but, like, it’ll come, you know. I’ve been talking to them all day and they’re pretty devastated, that was literally our family.”
Ms Mulligan said Ms Frahm had failed to respond to her text messages on the day of the shooting.
“She was always sending me videos, so when I saw all the cops and heard what happened I kind of put it together because she hadn’t texted me back for hours and she usually texts me back straight away.”
She described Ms Frahm as her best friend and one of her “biggest supporters”.
“I’m just devastated … We would go to town and party and do different stuff, she was such a fun person … and a smile from her would just light up any room.”
‘The most infectious smile’
Mang-gon Thai boxing gym has paid tribute to Ms Frahm in a post on Facebook
“Natalie always had the most infectious smile, always helping where ever she could making close friends with many of the other members,” the post reads.
“Our thoughts and love go out to Natalie’s children and her family and friends at this difficult and sad time.”
Other gym members expressed their shock over the “heart breaking” news.
“Well loved, greatly respected and will be remembered in the highest regards. A strong woman, loving mother fiercely proud of her children … Always with a smile,” one person wrote.
“Rest in peace Nat you are beloved in the community and a wonderful mother, wife, and sparring partner,” said another.
“Absolutely heart breaking, Nat was the most beautiful person and mother. You will be greatly missed by all,” another wrote.
A GoFundMe has been set up by the gym’s owner Nicolaas Van Der Zeeto help support the family.
“It’s hard enough loosing a parent at such a young age but to also witness the events that took place will need a lot of specialist care in helping to cope with what has happened,” the fundraiser reads.
“To help ease this financial burden we ask for your kind donations to help Natalie’s children. Nat we loved you.”
Motives unknown
Superintendent Detective Acting Superintendent Emma Novosel told reporters the motives behind the attack are currently “unknown”, with investigations set to look into what brought about the incident.
“It is not believed that the man and woman were known to each other. However, preliminary investigations indicate that they lived on the same street,” Superintendent Novosel said.
“There were two children in the vehicle at the time who fled and sought assistance from a neighbour at a nearby residence.”
“That resident, a 66-year-old man, approached the man and was also shot. He sustained non-life-threatening injuries and is currently receiving treatment at the Mackay Base Hospital.
Police said Mr McGill had been at his 89-year-old mother’s house to assist with household chores before the attack.
Superintendent Novosel described the incident as “tragic” and commended the two girls’ “bravery for actually managing to remove themselves from such a dangerous situation and raise the alarm”.
“It’s incredibly brave and I can’t even begin to imagine the trauma that they must be experiencing.”
The shooting also triggered a widespread lockdown, including Robb Place, Paradise St, Archibald St, Kindermar St and Denton St about 5.20pm after the 31-year-old allegedly fled the scene in a silver Mitsubishi Triton.
Officers were called to the scene and secured the area before beginning their investigations.
Mr Cole was arrested about 7.45pm outside a fast-food restaurant on the Bruce Highway.
He was charged with murder and attempted murder on Wednesday.
Alleged shooter’s past
Mr Cole previously made the news in 2008 when he was bitten on the foot by a Taipan in his hometown of Mundubberra when he was 15.
He was saved by his brother Jako and a group of mates after he began convulsing and bleeding from the mouth.
His friends pulled him from the waterhole he was bitten in and bandaged his foot with a T-shirt, and called emergency services.
Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said Mr Cole was known to police but there were no particular warnings, The Courier Mail reports.
He said police would “look closely” at how Mr Cole allegedly accessed weapons.
The 31-year-old had 11 weapons were taken from him when he lost his weapons licence in 2021, the Commissioner said.
“That was as a result of his conduct, the weapons were removed and the licence was revoked.”
Mr appeared at Mackay Magistrates Court on Thursday via watch-house video link.
He was remanded in custody and will reappear in court at a later date.
– With NCA NewsWire