About 80 police officers remain in Ashburton investigating yesterday's shooting in which two women died and another was seriously injured.
The names of the women who were shot have been released. Peggy Noble and Leigh Cleveland died, while Lindy Curtis was seriously injured.
The women were shot by a man who walked into the town's Work and Income office about 10am yesterday.
He then fled on a bike, sparking a massive, day-long manhunt before being found on a rural property just outside Ashburton about 5.30pm.
Russell John Tully has appeared in the Christchurch District Court charged with two counts of murder and one of attempted murder. The police said he did not have a firearms licence.
The officer in charge of the investigation, Detective Inspector Tom Fitzgerald said Mr Tully, who had a sawn-off shotgun, did not have a firearms licence.
Mr Fitzgerald would not comment on how Mr Tully obtained his weapon nor if the police had found it.
Mr Tully did not plea in court this morning, and was remanded in custody to reappear on 23 September.