Police have charged a 48-year-old woman with murder after a man was shot dead at Labrador on the Gold Coast in a house opposite a school.

Officers responded to reports of a shooting shortly after 2:00pm on Monday at a house on Imperial Parade, opposite Labrador State School and just a couple of doors away from a childcare centre, and found the 43-year-old man inside fighting for his life.

He was allegedly shot in the chest and died at the scene an hour later.

Detective Inspector Mark Thompson said initial investigations had established those involved were known to each other.

“At this stage, it looks like it was just an altercation between a closed group of people,” he said.

The woman has been charged with one count of murder and is expected to face Southport Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

A number of parents of children at the school told the ABC they received no notification of an emergency incident before they arrived at the scene.

Childcare workers from the centre had to escort children to their parents, who were not allowed to enter the street after it was blocked off by police.

Police blocked off Imperial Parade and access to Labrador State School. Photo: ABC