Body of suspected gunman found after 81yo shot in Adelaide suburb

Police have found the body of a suspected gunman who was wanted over the shooting of an 81-year-old in Adelaide’s north-east on Tuesday afternoon.

The 19-year-old’s body was found last night near the River Torrens, several hours after the shooting at the home of the elderly victim.

The 81-year-old was rushed to the Royal Adelaide Hospital with gunshot wounds to his arm and leg, after emergency services were called to Liascos Avenue at Newton about 4pm.

He was initially treated by paramedics at the scene and remains in a critical but stable condition, police said.

STAR Group officers and detectives began searching for the suspect, who was known to the victim.

After checking nearby houses, police later found a vehicle on Gorge Road, about 7:20pm, believed to have been driven by the man.

“About 9:30pm they actually located the body of a 19-year-old man believed to be the suspect. It was located near the River Torrens at Athelstone,” Senior Constable Kylee Simpson said.

“His death is not being treated as suspicious.”

A woman related to the man who was shot, and who lived at the same house, was also taken to hospital suffering from shock.

A neighbour said a shooting on an otherwise “pretty quiet” street made him feel “a little bit worried”.

“Someone got shot, that’s all I know,” he said.

“I saw the police going up and down with cars.”

Just before 7pm, a man was escorted from a house on Liascos Avenue, then handcuffed and loaded into a police vehicle.

Police will prepare a report for the coroner and have asked anyone with information about the shooting to contact Crime Stoppers.

“It’s such a fresh investigation that they want to piece all parts of the jigsaw together so that’s why we do ask anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000,” Senior Constable Simpson said.

Gorge Road was closed between Bermuda Court and Corkscrew Road while police searched for the suspect.