2 days ago
Court hears of 'bad blood' between alleged Oaks Estate shooter and victim
Prosecutors in the trial of a man allegedly involved in a shooting at Oaks Estate last year say the victim still has shotgun pellets lodged in his body.
The victim and a woman had been walking on George Street in Oaks Estate at the time of the shooting, the court heard, after the victim's brother's house one street over was raided by police and they were asked to leave.
It is alleged the pair saw an orange or gold coloured hatchback with no number plates drive past, which then did a U-Turn and stopped.
In a recorded interview with police — played to the court — the woman told officers then-20-year-old Bronson Cross got out of the car with a shotgun and approached them saying: "Do you want to get shot?"
The woman said she hid behind a tree while the victim talked to Mr Cross, telling him there were police nearby.
Mr Cross allegedly shot the victim, who then ran down the road to seek help.
"I didn't think he'd been shot because he ran," the woman told police.
She said she also ran, fearing Mr Cross would fire another shot.
Prosecutor Nathan Deakes told the court a man who'd been visiting his son in Oaks Estate heard a "loud bang" at about 1am that morning.
When the man went outside, he was approached by the victim who told him: "Bronson Cross shot me".
The court heard the victim was taken to the Queanbeyan Hospital and was later transferred to the Canberra Hospital, where he required a chest drain and surgery to remove shotgun pellets.
Mr Deakes said Mr Cross and the victim knew each other from school but there had been some "bad blood" between them, including a physical altercation in the years before the shooting.
Mr Cross was arrested on May 1, 2024 and extradited to the ACT accused of firearms offences and inflicting grievous bodily harm.
Police released a CCTV image and photographs of the car which they allege Mr Cross was driving — later identified as a Nissan Micra.
The prosecution alleged Mr Cross has been linked to the vehicle, with the identification of the offender the primary issue in the case.
The trial continues.
