A violent scuffle at a Woolworths supermarket has ended with an 11-year-old girl being shot in the face outside a rural home about an hour later.
The young girl was shot in the town of Deloraine in Tasmania on Tuesday night while she was in the car with her mother, uncle and four-year-old cousin.
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Girl shot in the face in Tasmania
A man is in custody after an 11-year-old girl was shot in the face in Tasmania. Vision courtesy Seven News.
A 25-year-old Deloraine man allegedly fired a rifle at the car, hitting the young girl in the right side of her face.
The girl was sitting in the back of the car next to her cousin, when she was hit. Her mother and uncle were in the front seats.
![Stagg Court in Deloraine where the shooting happened.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170831005705im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/y/7/1/j/u/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gy6yme.png/1504092402344.jpg)
Police allege the mother had been involved in a physical altercation with the alleged shooter's girlfriend at Deloraine Woolworths earlier in the night.
Both women involved in the confrontation received minor injuries including a bite mark and a cut to the head.
An hour later, the girl and her family were near the 25-year-old man's home in Stagg Court when he allegedly walked up to their car and fired the gun through the rear window.
The incident happened on Tuesday about 9pm.
![Glass on the road after the Deloraine shooting.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170831005705im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/y/7/1/j/r/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gy6yme.png/1504092402344.jpg)
The girl was taken to Deloraine District Community hospital by a family member before police arrived and she was taken to the Launceston General Hospital.
She was then flown to the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne in a critical condition, with bullet fragments in her face, neck and heart.
![Tasmanian Detective Inspector John King.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170831005705im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/y/7/1/i/4/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gy6yme.png/1504092402344.jpg)
Following surgery, she was in a stable condition on Wednesday morning.
Tasmania Police Detective Inspector King said police were in contact with the victim's surgeon in Melbourne.
"The little girl has stabilised significantly," he said.
"She was being treated for fragments in what's been described as the upper-part of her neck and lower skull, and also some fragments of a projectile that have entered her heart. It's believed that the parts of the projectile in her heart may have travelled internally through the blood stream.
"A gunshot wound to the head can be catastrophic, it certainly didn't look good to start with but very pleased to hear her condition is improving."
Police are also in contact with the girl's mother, who flew to Victoria with her.
"Local detectives have travelled to Victoria to speak with her, provide support and gain witness evidence," he said.
Deloraine man Nathan Campbell was arrested by police on Tuesday night.
He was charged with causing grievous bodily harm and recklessly discharging a firearm.
He appeared in the Launceston Magistrates Court on Wednesday afternoon, but did not enter a plea.
Magistrate Simon Brown remanded him to reappear on Friday.
Family and friends called out "love you, Nathan" as he was taken back into custody.
Deloraine is located about 50 kilometres from Launceston, in Tasmania's north, and is home to about 2000 permanent residents.
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Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Launceston Examiner