ARREST AT GUNPOINT
POLICE arrested a man at gunpoint yesterday afternoon, sending a nearby prestigious school into lockdown.
The dramatic arrest came minutes after a stabbing at Firth Park, Mudgeeraba.
The alleged attacker was nabbed about 3.25pm on Gemvale Rd, about 500m from Hillcrest Christian College at Reedy Creek.
A Year 11 student later told of panic and confusion, saying teenagers were originally told there was a man at the bottom of the hill with a gun.
POLICE arrested a man at gunpoint yesterday afternoon, sending a nearby prestigious school into lockdown.
The dramatic arrest came minutes after a stabbing at Firth Park, Mudgeeraba.
The alleged attacker was nabbed about 3.25pm on Gemvale Rd, about 500m from Hillcrest Christian College at Reedy Creek.
A Year 11 student later told of panic and confusion, saying teenagers were originally told there was a man at the bottom of the hill with a gun.
“School was finished and suddenly we heard an announcement over the PA system that nobody was to leave the campus and we were sent to the libraries and classrooms,” the student said.
“They told us to lock all the windows and doors and that’s when we realised ‘oh my God, this clearly isn’t a drill’.
“You’ve got your family and your friends and there’s a fear of never seeing them again and that’s something that goes through your mind and something you never want to think about.
“We were just shocked … you don’t expect this to happen.
“Some students were calling their parents, telling them not to come near the school.
“The teachers were distracting the smaller kids, so they didn’t figure out what was happening.
“I’m grateful nothing bad happened, no one got hurt. I’m grateful I feel safe.”
Shortly after, Hillcrest parents received an email notifying them of the lockdown, explaining the school acted based upon information it was given at the time.
A Hillcrest staff member, who declined to be named, said the lockdown was lifted within 10 minutes.
District duty officer Senior Sergeant Brett MacGibbon said a 51-year-old man was allegedly stabbed by a 32-yearold Highland Park man in Somerset Drive at 3.13pm.
The victim was allegedly stabbed “at least once” in his left ribs with a pocket knife in the Firth Park carpark.
He and the alleged attacker were believed to be known to each other.
“We’re still trying to establish what exactly happened,” Sen-Sgt MacGibbon said of the attack.
There were also tyre tracks across a median strip within the carpark that Sen-Sgt MacGibbon said were made by the victim’s car.
He said it was not known what started the altercation.
One witness said she arrived just behind police and saw the victim with blood all over his left-hand side.
“I came after the cop cars,” Maryanne Folpp said.
“An older man was sitting on one of those pylons, with his left side soaked in blood.”
Another woman, who declined to be named, said she had been taking her children to Firth Park for four years and was shocked this happened in front of so many people, including children.
Two ambulance crews and a critical care paramedic crew responded to the scene, where officers treated the injured man.
He was transported to the Gold Coast University Hospital in a serious condition.