Police have arrested a 27-year-old man at Bribie Island, north of Brisbane, hours after a woman was shot and seriously wounded this morning.
They say the man was found at an address on Sylvan Beach Parade on Bribie Island at 3:45pm.
The search goes on for a second man, who police described as bald and Caucasian with blue eyes.
The Queensland Ambulance Service said critical care paramedics rushed a 27-year-old woman to hospital in a serious condition.
Police said they tracked a vehicle to Bribie Island before making an emergency declaration just before 11:00am.
They told people to avoid a suburban area on Bribie Island while specialist officers responded.
Detective Inspector Robert Hytch said the woman was taken to a home in Rothwell, near Deception Bay, with a "serious gunshot wound".
"The woman was taken there and delivered to other family members so that they can call the ambulance," he said.
"The victim is undergoing surgery this afternoon and is in a serious condition, but she's expected to survive.
"The circumstances of how the woman got shot are still under investigation," Detective Inspector Hytch said.
'I screamed at him'
Bribie Island resident Margaret Ford said she was confronted by a man with blood on his hands in her backyard this morning.
Ms Ford said he jumped over her fence and was begging her to let him into her house.
"I screamed at him, 'what are you doing, get out of here', and he said 'can you help me please, can you ring my mum' and I said 'no, get out of here, I'll call the police."
Another resident said he was also approached by a visibly distressed man with bloody hands, asking him for water.
Sylvan Beach Esplanade resident Rod Rogers was not aware of a shooting at the time of their encounter.
"I didn't know what he'd done and he was crying and saying, 'I want my mum, I want my mum'. I felt sorry for him and I said, 'Just stay there and I'll be back with some water for you'."
Mr Rogers said the man ran away before he could help him.
Detective Inspector Hytch said one of the men had a escaped a cordoned area set up by police to catch him.
Specialist police and dog squads were also called in to assist with the search.
