A neighbour who spoke to the tradie accused of shooting a woman dead said he appeared ‘nice’ when they met.
Ryan Geoffrey Cole, 31, allegedly shot his neighbour Natalie Jane Frahm, 34, in the head and chest as she pulled up in her car outside her house on Robb Place at South Mackay, in Queensland, on Wednesday afternoon.
Cole is also accused of shooting good Samaritan James Trevor McGill, 66, who rushed to Ms Frahm’s aid after the alarm was raised by two teenagers who were in her car at the time.
Mr McGill, who was in the street visiting his elderly mother, was allegedly shot in the chest before he was rushed to hospital in a serious but stable condition.
Local Denise Home was visiting her friend Mr McGill and his mother at the time.
Natalie Frahm, 34, (pictured) has been identified as the alleged victim of the brutal shooting
Denise Home (pictured) was visiting her friend Mr McGill and his mother and described her previous encounters with Cole and said he seemed ‘nice’
Ryan Geoffrey Cole (pictured) allegedly went on a shooting rampage on Wednesday – his 31st birthday
She told the Courier Mail she had met Cole on several previous occasions.
‘I met (Cole) a couple of times, he always seemed nice,’ she said.
Ms Home recalled the terrifying moment the two teenagers ran to the house screaming for help with one them yelling someone had been killed.
She said one of the teenagers called the police while she called the ambulance, as more shots rang out.
These were allegedly the shots that injured her friend Mr McGill.
Ms Home said it took a long time for the paramedics to arrive as the area was still in lockdown.
Another neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous, also recalled meeting Cole saying he ‘seemed bloody normal’.
She said when she first heard the gunshots she thought they were coming from the Mackay Agricultural Show.
The close-knit Mackay community has been rocked by the tragic death of young woman Natalie Frahm (pictured)
The incident forced police to plunge the surrounding area into a lockdown as they searched for the alleged gunman (pictured, exclusion zone)
The neighbours of the quiet cul-de-sac spoke of their disbelief, how they can’t sleep after the tragic shooting and are desperately searching for answers.
‘I need to know what happened because it could have happened to anybody on the street,’ one woman said.
‘It would bring us some peace knowing the full story.’
Another neighbour said she was shocked by the chain of events, saying she frequently saw Cole in the street.
‘He seemed nice,’ she said.
‘He has been living there for a while. He seemed like a good style of a man. He would always drive past and smile. I’d see him working on his boat or with his carpenter’s trolley.
Cole was arrested about 7.45pm outside a service station on the Bruce Highway near Hilton Street, about 2km away.
It is understood Cole and Ms Frahm did not know each other, but resided on the same street.
Daily Mail Australia understands the South Mackay property where Cole was living is owned by his mother, however, it is unclear whether she was also residing at the premises.
Ms Frahm moved to Mackay several years ago from her hometown, of Mount Isa, located 1,230 km west in outback Queensland.
A heartbroken friend paid tribute to the woman online describing her as a ‘beautiful angel’.
The tragedy has rocked the quiet coastal suburb, which thrusted into a massive emergency lockdown amid the alleged shootings.
Detective Acting Superintendent Emma Novosel said Cole was known to police and there was no clear motive for the alleged shootings.
Mackay mayor Greg Williamson said it would take a long time for the ‘beautiful little community’ come to terms with the alleged shooting.
A heartbroken friend paid tribute online to Natalie Frahm (pictured), describing her as a ‘beautiful angel’
‘As a community, we’ve got to try and pull together to make sure that anyone who needs help, gets [it] … How could this happen in Mackay?’ he said.
Three years ago, Cole had his gun licence revoked.
Investigations are underway how he gained access to a firearm.
‘This person had firearms illegally. His weapons licence had been cancelled. Police had taken those weapons off him,’ Queensland Police Minister Mark Ryan said.
‘Part of the investigation will look at how he might’ve come into possession of this illegal firearm … but that work, we’ve got to allow police to do’
‘I don’t think there’s a single person in Queensland whose heart doesn’t break for Natalie and her family and friends.’
Cole appeared in Mackay Magistrates Court on Thursday morning via watch-house video link, charged with murder and attempted murder.
He appeared in court again on Friday morning and was remanded to September.
