Taskforce Nemesis investigating shots fired in Kambah overnight
A man is in hospital and police are investigating after a bikie-related shooting in Canberra's south on Wednesday night.
The incident is the latest in a spate of motorcycle gang-related violence to hit the ACT in recent months, ratcheting up calls for the introduction of anti-consorting laws.
About 10:15pm, police said a group of men forced their way into a house on Pinkerton Circuit in Kambah and shot a man in the legs.
He was further assaulted by the group, before they fled in a number of cars at speed. A woman and a young child were also home at the time.
The man was taken to Canberra Hospital and continued to undergo treatment for two gunshot wounds on Thursday, an ACT Health spokeswoman confirmed.
ACT Policing said its special outlaw motorcycle gang taskforce Nemesis was now investigating the shooting.
"We don't know what the feud is about, we believe this person was related to the Nomads outlaw motorcycle gang," Acting Superintendent Matt Reynolds said.
Several recent shootings in Canberra have been linked to a feud for supremacy between the Nomads gang and the Comancheros.
Over a fortnight in July, three homes across Canberra were sprayed with bullets, including a house neighbouring a childcare centre.
Acting Superintendent Reynolds confirmed no arrests had yet been made in the recent string of shootings but investigations were ongoing.
The ACT's police minister Mick Gentleman said Wednesday's attack was disturbing but further investment in Taskforce Nemesis was already producing results on the ground.
The ACT government has pushed back against calls from the opposition for the introduction of anti-consorting laws, similar to those in NSW, into the capital.
Shadow attorney-general Jeremy Hanson said Wednesday's shooting was "sadly inevitable" without legislative action and the Canberra Liberals would soon be introducing proposed laws into the assembly.
"The governments been holding out for about eight or nine years refusing to introduce anti-consorting laws and, throughout that time, what we've seen is an increase in bikie violence in our suburbs," Mr Hanson said.
"It's just a matter of time before someone gets killed or seriously injured...That's happened."
In August, the ACT government revealed it was looking into new laws to target drive-by shootings as well as giving police greater powers when securing crime scenes.
"We stand by our earlier commitments to not introduce anti-consorting laws," Mr Gentleman said.
"That's why we're moving ahead with other tools that will assist ACT police in combating [gang] activity...rather than thinking about outlaw motorcycle gangs conforming to a law when they don't conform to laws currently."
Acting Superintendent Reynolds would not be drawn on the possibility of anti-consorting laws in Canberra and said changes to the law were a matter for the government.
The shooting was targeted and ACT Policing were working hard to ensure the safety of the community, he said.
On Monday, residents were left shaken when shots were fired into a Bonython house but police said they did not believe that incident was bikie-related.
ACT Policing urged anyone who saw anything suspicious or cars driving at speed in Kambah about 10pm on Wednesday, or who has any CCTV footage, to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 bite me, quoting reference number 6151592.