Internal dispute behind SA bikie shooting

The 29-year-old man was shot twice in the chest and arm around midnight in a targeted attack in the city's northwestern suburbs.

He managed to drive his ute to Royal Adelaide Hospital, where he arrived at 12.20am CDT today. He remains in a serious condition.

Crime gangs task force boss John De Candia said the man had provided police with some information, and detectives believed the attack stemmed from a dispute between fellow gang members.

"What I can say is this is not a random incident," Superintendent De Candia said today.

"We do not believe this is linked to any other past feud between any other motorcycle gangs.

"We believe, at this stage, it is a dispute between the Hells Angels themselves."
 

Supt De Candia said it appeared the attack came from behind while the man was in the vehicle. A bullet hole was also found in the back of his ute.

He said some "items of interest" had been found at the scene but declined to give details.

The victim has given detectives some details about his movements, but police are yet to determine if he knows who fired the shots and whether he is willing to co-operate.

In previous incidents involving bikies in Adelaide, including a spate of shootings over the past year, police have been frustrated by the code of silence operating among bikie gangs, with members usually refusing to help detectives.

A number of prosecutions have stalled in the courts for the same reason.

"The code of silence that bikie gangs do adopt is difficult and it makes our job harder, but we still continue to progress the investigation," Supt De Candia said.

He said the latest attack was also in keeping with the activities of bikie gangs and should act as a warning to anyone who was considering becoming a member or an associate.

"This is the behaviour that they engage in. They have a total disregard for the law, they have a total disregard for the safety of innocent people," he said.

"This isn't something you want to get involved in.

"Just as certain as taxes and death are in life, then it's certain that people who are involved with motorcycle gangs are going to be risking their life."