Men Flee After Firing Shots Into Hobart Bar Metres From Dark Mofo Event

A manhunt is underway in Hobart following an incident in which gunshots were fired into a popular city bar, a block away from one of the major sites of the Dark Mofo festival.

Tasmanian police say that just after midnight, two men approached the closed steel doors of Pablo’s Cocktails and Dreams, and discharged a high powered rifle multiple times through the door.

There were approximately twenty patrons and employees in the bar at the time, but nobody was injured and the men fled on foot. A firearm and ammunition were later found nearby.

Police are following “several particular lines of enquiry” but believe that the incident may have been a targeted attack on the bar, and seek witnesses who may have seen one of the men in question.

The man is said to be aged up to 40, with red facial hair, between 5’7 and 6’0 in height, with a thick set-muscular build, wearing a long sleeve black top, black tradies’ trousers and black boots.

Police are also seeking dash cam footage from motorists in the area of Harrington LaneHarrington Street and Bathurst Street at the time, including Uber drivers.

The incident occurred less than a block away from Night Mass, one of the major Dark Mofo festival events, and punters who heard the shots initially believed they may have been part of the show.

PEDESTRIAN.TV writer David Adams was present at the event, and said:

We were at the Night Mass event surrounding the Odeon Theatre when we heard between five and ten gunshots from close by. There was confusion among the crowd as to whether they were actual gunshots, or fireworks, or another sound related to a performance on the night.

Despite the gunshots being fired very close to a densely-packed crowd, there didn’t seem to be too much of a panic. I left the complex to find out what was going on. Shortly after I saw three or four unmarked police cars flash their lights and pull up Harrington St, where police officers inspected two alleyways.

Anyone with information is asked to call Hobart CIB on 131 444 or information can be provided anonymously to Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000 or online.

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