Source: Radio New Zealand
Police were at the scene of the shooting on Wednesday morning RNZ/Mark Papalii
A small community has been rocked by a shooting involving a local family.
A woman and two young men are in critical condition and one man is dead after a shooting in Waitārere Beach, a small settlement located west of Levin.
Emergency services were called to a property on Waitārere Beach Road where they found four people with gunshot wounds.
The three survivors were taken to hospital and police said they were not searching for anyone else in relation to the shooting. Another young person who was at the address is physically unharmed and was being given wrap-around support, police added.
Neighbour Elizabeth Taylor told RNZ she was woken up last night by helicopters and lights.
Robert Sotheran and Murray Powell from the Waitārere Ratepayers Association. RNZ/Mark Papalii
“We thought, ‘What the heck is going on?'” She said.
She said a handful of neighbours gathered in the street.
The only road in and out of the small beachside community was closed on Wednesday morning, later reopening with traffic management.
A Waitārere resident, who didn’t want to be named, told RNZ they were confronted by stop/go traffic control and said it had been “absolutely horrible” as more details came to light.
It was the sort of small community where everyone knew everyone, they said.
“Very surprised because it is a very close-knit community … and very very safe.”
Waitārere Volunteer Fire Brigade said its team responded to the “horrific” overnight incident.
In a post on social media it said its thoughts were with the victims and emergency responders, and urged people to be mindful of commenting online.
“Events like these impact small communities like ours in different ways, please look after yourselves, others, be kind, check in with each other and be respectful.”
Murray Powell, president of the local ratepayers organisation, thanked the first responders involved.
“Our fire brigade in particular, they come across a lot of accidents, but this is outside the box of what they’re used to, so our thoughts are really with them.”
Powell said the family was known by many in the community, and he said locals were mostly being very respectful when it came to sharing information about the incident.
Waitarere Ratepayers Association member Robert Sotheran said those first on the scene were all locals, many of whom are volunteers.
He said such incidents are “very rare”.
“The only other times that they may respond to something is a car accident, but this one’s a little bit different because it’s locals that are involved,” Sotheran said.
“I mean that’s … quite sad.”
A police presence would remain in the area.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand