Couple charged over WA funeral shooting

Two people have been charged with shooting into a crowd that had gathered for a
funeral, injuring two people and prompting bottle shops to close in a West
Australian town.

A long-running family feud erupted after members gathered following the funeral of
an Aboriginal elder in the wheatbelt town of Narrogin, about 200 kilometres
southeast of Perth, on Saturday.
WA police say a brawl involving about 100 people intensified when a husband and wife
allegedly fired into the crowd about 8.40pm (WST).
A woman, 36, from the southern Perth suburb of Armadale, was seriously injured in
the shooting.
She was rushed into surgery but a Royal Perth Hospital spokesman said she had
responded well to treatment and was no longer in a critical condition.
A man, 23, from Narrogin, was also injured. He was in a stable condition.
A 55-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman from Pinjarra in WA's Peel region have
been charged with discharging a firearm with intent to cause fear.
Police say the couple were licensed gun owners and allegedly took turns using the
same gun to fire into the crowd.
Authorities have slapped a 24-hour ban on the sale of take-away alcohol in an
attempt to stop any further disputes.
WA police spokesman Graham Clifford on Sunday said shots were fired at a property in
Andrews Street during a dispute between a couple of families.
"A couple of people went into a house of one of the families and not long after
shots were fired," Sgt Clifford said.
"Police intervened between the two groups and kept them apart."
He said extra police had been in town in anticipation of the family tensions.
Three firearms were seized by police. However, they believe only one shotgun was
fired during the incident.
A car, which was caught in the hail of bullets, has been impounded by forensic
police for their investigation.