A .22 caliber rifle allegedly used in a daytime shooting is still loose somewhere in the Canberra community, despite its alleged firer being in custody.
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Self-employed tiler Brodie Antoniak, 31, fronted the ACT Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
He did not enter pleas to three charges: firing a gun at someone, firing a gun at a building, and intentionally damaging a car.
Prosecutor Angus Brown said the offences stemmed from a shooting on Tuesday at a home on Goyder Street in Narrabundah.
Police allege Mr Antoniak and another person, who they are yet to identify, pulled up at the house in a Holden Commodore about 2.30pm before Mr Antoniak got out and fired at a man out the front.
They say Mr Antoniak was in a dispute with the man - an old friend who had lent him $7000 back in 2017 - after the tiler sold him a ute as a form of payback for the debt.
When the man sold the ute on to another person, it's alleged Mr Antoniak asked for the car back, and later threatened his old friend, "If I don't get the ute back, I'm going to kill you".
Police alleged that on Tuesday, the alleged victim ran away as he was being shot at and yelled to his children, "He's here, he's here, get in the bathtub".
They say Mr Antoniak jumped on the man and his partner's car before he left the Narrabundah house, but he later doubled back to fire another two rounds at the house.
Mr Antoniak allegedly later texted his old friend, telling him: "You've got until 5am to return the ute".
The man took that as a threat and called police.
READ MORE: Charges laid over Narrabundah shooting
Officers later executed a search warrant at a unit in Wright, where they didn't find the gun but arrested Mr Antoniak.
They also spoke to a neighbour of the Narrabundah house, who told them he heard someone say "I'm going to shoot you" and saw Mr Antoniak jump on the man's car.
In court on Wednesday, Mr Antoniak's duty solicitor applied for bail on his behalf, and said his tiling work would be put at risk if he wasn't granted it.
But Magistrate Beth Campbell noted police thought Mr Antoniak capable of making "irrational decisions" given his drug use.
She said her main concern was that there was a working firearm "still somewhere in the community", and Mr Antoniak had allegedly had access to it.
"[I'm concerned] he would, if he were released on bail, commit further offences," Ms Campbell said.
She refused Mr Antoniak bail, to appear in court again on December 2.
On Wednesday morning, ACT Policing Detective Inspector Matt Reynolds told media there was "no further issue" with the 31-year-old, nor "any threat to the public".
"The male was involved in a dispute with the residents at that location [in Narrabundah]," he said.
"He was not known to police."
When asked whether police had recovered the firearm involved in the incident, Detective Inspector Reynolds said: "We're still searching through the vehicle.
"We seized a vehicle last night that we believe was involved in the attack ... and we're conducting forensics examinations on that."
Cassandra Morgan
It has never been more important for Canberrans to be able to access reliable and accurate information about health. As The Canberra Times’ health reporter, I am committed to ensuring our readers have access to this. I, like many in the territory, have family members who work in the sector. Although providing comprehensive coverage on the coronavirus pandemic is obviously my number one priority, I aim to frequently shed light on the fantastic work our frontline professionals do, as well as the challenges they face. Email me tips and story ideas at: c.morgan@canberratimes.com.au.
It has never been more important for Canberrans to be able to access reliable and accurate information about health. As The Canberra Times’ health reporter, I am committed to ensuring our readers have access to this. I, like many in the territory, have family members who work in the sector. Although providing comprehensive coverage on the coronavirus pandemic is obviously my number one priority, I aim to frequently shed light on the fantastic work our frontline professionals do, as well as the challenges they face. Email me tips and story ideas at: c.morgan@canberratimes.com.au.
