Organiser of boxing event targeted by drive-by shooting reveals sudden closure

The gym behind a boxing event targeted by drive-by shooters last weekend has announced its indefinite closure less than 24 hours after a teenage girl died from injuries sustained in the shooting.

Vana-Reese Schuster-Togiatau, 19, was at the Logan City Titles Fight Night boxing event, held at Fitzy’s pub and organised by Shdw Boxing Gym, when she was shot in the head and neck during the drive-by shooting.

Three other men were shot in the abdomen but were not critically injured.

Schuster-Togiatau had spent the last five days in intensive care at Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital. She succumbed to her injuries and died Thursday morning.

Police were now treating the incident as a homicide investigation, and said they would not stop until the shooters had been identified and brought to justice.

“[Schuster-Togiatau’s family are] not doing well,” Detective Inspector Ian Galpin of the Logan District Criminal Investigation Branch said yesterday.

“We will continue to support the family in every way possible, and I think the best way we can do that is to identify who’s involved and make sure those people are taken into custody.”

Following news of Schuster-Togiatau’s death, the owners of Shdw Boxing Gym announced they were closing their Logan gym indefinitely.

“After a lot of time, thought and consideration, Brendo [Brenden Henwood] and I have made the difficult decision that SHDW Boxing will remain closed for the foreseeable future,” co-owner Brad Trevisan wrote.

“Following the recent tragic events, things simply don’t feel the same right now.

“We need to take this time to focus on our families, support one another and allow ourselves the space to navigate everything that has happened.

“Our thoughts and prayers remain with everyone affected by the recent tragedy.”

A post published earlier in the week by the gym described the shooting as a “disgusting act” and linked to mental health services.

“We are absolutely devastated,” Henwood and Trevisan wrote.

Galpin said 80 detectives were now involved in the investigation, including those from Logan’s Criminal Investigation Branch, the homicide investigation unit and Task Force Maxima, the Queensland police’s bikie squad.

“We are keeping a very open mind to the involvement of gang members,” Galpin said.

“That said, our priority at the moment is to identify the persons involved and the reasons for this offence occurring.

“Now if that leads to the identification of gang members, their associates or other forms of organised crime, then that will certainly expand the scope of our investigation.”

Two of the men shot have been released from hospital. A third remained while recovering from surgery.

Police Minister Dan Purdie assured the public police were doing “absolutely everything they can” to find the shooters, despite being unable to locate a suspect nearly a week after the attack.

“To solve this matter and to bring those perpetrators to justice – and I am confident they will – I want to put another call out as the police have been doing,” he said.

“There’s people out there who know who was involved [and] who know who did what.

“Now is the time to come forward and talk to police about what you know.”

A fundraiser launched to support Schuster-Togiatau’s family has raised nearly $70,000 in the last week.

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