Wooroloo shooting: Man in custody after another man shot and injured

Police investigating the terrifying roadside shooting in Wooroloo have revealed the victim — who is fighting for life in hospital — was shot in the head — and that the weapon used in the incident has not been recovered.

WA Police also revealed they are still hunting for a number of people who they believe were involved but won’t clarify if the victim and alleged perpetrators were known to each other or if it was bikie-related.

The male victim was found just after 7.30am on Saturday after emergency services received a call about a man sustaining a gunshot wound in the rural area.

He was flown to Royal Perth Hospital by the RAC Rescue Helicopter and is in a critical condition in the intensive care unit.

As he was being transported police plunged the normally quiet region into lockdown as armed officers, including those from the Tactical Response Group, swarmed the intersection of Needham Road and Murauba Close trying to find the assailants.

Residents were told to stay inside and to lock their doors as police continued their search in bushland surrounding a number of properties.

Then, just before 10am, police said they had taken one man into custody who was assisting them with their inquiries. They also lifted the lockdown allowing residents to leave their homes.

However, WA Police Inspector Vic Hussey from the State Operations Command, said a number of people believed to be involved in the incident were still at large — and that the weapon used had not been recovered.

He said police believe the assailants fled on foot through the bushland adding officers were continuing to search the extensive area and that they did not believe locals were at risk.

When asked if it was a bikie-related incident, Insp Hussey said police were still investigating adding there were a “lot of moving parts”.

He also could not clarify the relationship between the victim and the alleged gunman or gunmen or what significance the blue car which was parked on Needham Road with all its doors open had.

Earlier, forensic officers were combing the scene, searching for clues in and around the blue vehicle as well as the area where the victim was believed to have been found by ambulance officers.

Vision from the 7News helicopter also showed armed officers entering bushland on one of the properties at the centre of the search.

Insp Hussey said because the investigation was ongoing he was unable to clarify anything further but did say the man taken into custody was not armed.

He also wanted to assure the public they were not at risk.

When asked why, he said: “We don’t have anything to suspect that the other people were armed.”

But he also said the gun used in the shooting has not been recovered.