A 15-year-old girl's life may have been saved by her mobile phone after an arrow fired from a crossbow hit the device first.
A 25-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly injuring the girl with a crossbow before he was apprehended by brave bystanders inside an Aldi supermarket in Australia.
The attack took place in Ipswich, Queensland around 4.40pm on Tuesday afternoon, after the man was spotted walking from Booval Railway Station holding a compound bow.
Police will allege the man – who was wearing a black hoodie and mask at the time – fired the bow at a female jogger and a moving vehicle before entering the supermarket and firing again, allegedly hitting a 15-year-old North Bo oval girl.
It's understood the girl's mobile phone may have saved her life, as the arrow hit the device she was holding before piercing her stomach.
Bystanders tackled the man and apprehended him until police arrived and took him into custody.
The teen was taken to the Children's Hospital with wounds to her hand and stomach, although police confirmed they were not life-threatening injuries.
The man has since been charged with attempted murder, torture and going armed so as to cause fear and will appear in the Ipswich Magistrates Court today.
One witness who came into contact with the masked man just moments before he attacked the teenager has described her chilling encounter.
Michelle Woods had been travelling in a car and told the Brisbane Times the man had appeared to aim his bow at the vehicle.
"He had eyeballed us in the car – gave us this weird look – and sort of half lifted it up and we thought he was going to start shooting at the car," she said.
Police gave further details of the terrifying incident.
"A witness has identified that male person discharge that bow, an arrow, at a female jogger who was passing by," Queensland Police Inspector Heath McQueen said.
"The male person has then continued on to a vehicle, it is believed that that male may have discharged that bow at a vehicle en route while he was heading towards the Aldi supermarket."
Police and emergency services swarmed the area on Tuesday afternoon.
Authorities are now appealing for anyone that may have witnessed the man or have CCTV footage of what happened to come forward.
"We are still yet to establish who that female jogger may have been, they may not be aware that a weapon was fired in her direction, we're still yet to establish her identity," Inspector McQueen told reporters.
"There is a vehicle that travelled through this area as well that we believe may have been fired at and we would like to talk to those people as well."