A man accused of shooting three members of a family dead on a remote Queensland cattle property has appeared in court for the first time.
Darryl Valroy Young, 59, has been charged with three counts of murder and another count of attempted murder.
He will remain in custody after his matter was adjourned after his appearance via video link at Proserpine magistrates court on Monday.
The sole survivor of the alleged shooting is recovering in hospital and remains in a stable condition after the incident northwest of Mackay.
The alleged victims have been identified as Mervyn and Maree Schwarz, aged 71 and 59, and Maree’s son Graham Tighe, aged 35.
Graham’s brother Ross Tighe is recovering from a gunshot wound to the stomach and has been interviewed by police.
The injured Tighe allegedly managed to flee by car and raise the alarm before being airlifted to Mackay base hospital to undergo surgery for critical injuries.
He was found by police about 40km away from the scene of the alleged shooting.
Police then locked down the surrounding the rural cattle properties before conducting a sweep.
Young and two other people, who were held by police but later released, were found on his property.
Whitsunday councillor Mike Brunker said on Friday that the Tighes had only moved to Bogie about 12 months earlier.
“Just an absolute tragic situation,” he told Seven’s Today program.
Young – a long-term resident of the area – is due to appear in Bowen magistrates court on 1 November.