9:48p.m. 22nd February 2008

| By Mark Furler

Police are hunting two men after a hotel patron suffered a shotgun blast to the upper body in a bungled drive-by shooting in Nambour tonight. Photo: Jason Dougherty

Photo Gallery: Nambour hotel drive-by shooting

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Police are hunting two men after a hotel patron suffered a shotgun blast to the chest while another was hit in the arm in a bungled drive-by shooting in Nambour tonight.

Police converged on Nambour's Royal George Hotel just after 8pm after calls that a man had been shot as he was standing on the footpath outside RG's Sportsbar across the road from the main public bar area.

Police later revealed another man had also been hit but suffered only minor wounds to the arm. Both men are recovering in Nambour Hospital.

A shotgun blast, at head height, was left on the glass window of the sportsbar, which is just metres away from the exit to the local drive-through bottleshop.

The Daily understands that the gunshot was intended for another man, also standing on the footpath, who suffered only superficial glass wounds.

The intended victim told friends that he heard a huge bang and there was 'blood everywhere'.

Inspector Tony Lewis said police were searching for two men, one believed to have just been released from jail, who were in a blue 1990s Mitsubishi Lancer, along with a woman. They were believed to be in their 20s.

Insp Lewis urged the public not to approach the vehicle if they saw it but to phone it in to police on 000. "We don't want anyone approaching them.''

Insp. Lewis said the main victim was taken by ambulance to hospital with wounds from a single shot to his right upper arm and chest. Police said his injuries were not life-threatening.

"It would appear that there was some sort of altercation in the bar earlier,'' Insp. Lewis said.

Police believe the two men in the car left after a fight, possibly over a woman, and then got into the car, did a u-turn and drove past two other men, firing the gun at them through the window of the car. They were travelling in an easterly direction back into Currie Street.

Six police units quickly converged on the scene, cordoning off the side street running off Currie Street.

As police rounded up witnesses, the target of the shooting, still dressed in his fluoro workshirt, seemed more intent on being able to keep drinking than having any real fears for what had happened.

"I'm fine mate, I'm fine,'' he told a friend before asking police when he could have another drink from the bottle of liquor he had with him. He was later taken away for a formal police interview by detectives.

Many patrons at the hotel seemed unaware what happened while staff across the road said they only heard the noise. "I just heard this almighty big bang and thought 'That was a gunshot,'' a female hotel manager, who had just knocked off the night, said.

Insp. Lewis said a team of detectives were carrying out inquiries across the Coast in a bid to locate the men and the car.

Police would not comment on what the intended victim had told them. "He's helping us with our inquiries but at this stage we don't want to say any more.''

Anyone with information is urged to phone Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.