An investigation is currently underway following the death of Peter James Stevens, a 43-year-old man who was discovered with a gunshot wound on Dundas Street in Granville, a suburb of Maryborough on Queensland’s Fraser Coast. Police responded to the scene early yesterday morning, around 5:15 am, and found Stevens in apparent distress near a boat ramp alongside the Mary River, where he was reportedly calling for help. Despite the emergency services’ efforts to administer CPR, he was pronounced dead shortly after.
Detective Inspector Craig Mansfield indicated that initial reports suggest Stevens might have suffered self-inflicted injuries from a firearm, although investigations are still ongoing to verify this account. Two witnesses were present at the scene, and they reportedly stated that Stevens shot himself. Mansfield confirmed that the police are approaching the incident with an open mind, as all gunshot-related deaths are treated as serious cases, pending a post-mortem examination to clarify the exact cause of death.
Mansfield noted that the witnesses were familiar with Stevens and that they are also known to police. One witness has since been arrested for unrelated drug offences. It has been revealed that the firearm in question was not a standard weapon but a makeshift one constructed from pipes, believed to be an improvised device which fired a small calibre shell rather than being a 3D-printed gun.
Authorities are actively pursuing various lines of inquiry, including the potential for relationship issues involving Stevens, another male witness, and a female individual present at the scene. The investigation aims to uncover the circumstances surrounding this tragic event.