Vana-Reese Schuster-Togiatau, 19, died in hospital after the shooting at Fitzys Loganholme. Picture Facebook
A 19-year-old woman has died days after being shot in the head outside a pub in Loganholme, Australia. Police are now treating the case as a murder investigation.
Vana-Reese Schuster-Togiatau, from Jimboomba, died on Thursday morning at Princess Alexandra Hospital. She had been in a critical condition since the shooting on Saturday night.
She had gone out with friends to watch a boxing event at Fitzy’s Loganholme when the shooting happened.
Detective Inspector Ian Galpin from Logan District Police said the young woman’s family was struggling to cope with her death. Police are staying in contact with them and offering support.
He said it was heartbreaking that a young woman who had simply gone out with friends had lost her life. He also promised that police would continue working until those responsible were found and arrested.
Police say two masked men arrived at the pub in a silver Mitsubishi ASX with no number plates. They allegedly opened fire in the venue’s pick-up area at about 8.15pm, during a break in SHDW Boxing’s yearly professional and amateur boxing event.
Four people were wounded. Along with Schuster-Togiatau, three men aged 27, 37 and 38 were taken to hospital.
Investigators believe the same vehicle had been seen at Fitzy’s Waterford, about 10 kilometres away, at around 7.45pm.
At about 8.35pm, the silver Mitsubishi was found on fire on Maloney Road in Waterford West. Police believe one of the suspected gunmen may have suffered an injury or burns.
Detectives allege the men then escaped in a second vehicle, a dual-cab ute. That vehicle was later found burnt out on Beenleigh Beaudesert Road in Tamborine.
Inspector Galpin said two of the injured men had since left hospital. The third man was still receiving medical care.
Investigators believe some people may know who was behind the shooting and why it happened.
Police are asking anyone with information to contact them. They also want to hear from anyone who saw the silver Mitsubishi travelling between Waterford, Loganholme and Waterford West between 7.30pm and 8.30pm on Saturday night.
Detectives say the investigation is continuing as they work to identify and arrest the people responsible.
