A gun and machete attack in the Auckland suburb of Mt Roskill that left one person dead and two seriously injured is not believed to be a random attack, police say.
Photo: RNZ / Jean Bell
Police have launched a homicide investigation after a 23-year-old man was shot dead at an address on Glass Rd about 9.30pm last night.
Speaking to media this afternoon, Auckland City CIB Detective Inspector Scott Beard said the two offenders, one armed with a firearm and one with a machete entered the house - occupied by four people at the time.
An altercation then took place, during which the victim was shot dead.
Two other people - a man in his 30s and a man in his 50s - received serious injuries to their arms from the machete and were taken to hospital, where they are in a stable condition. The fourth person at the address has been uninjured and has been speaking to police.
The offenders fled the scene and are still on the run, Beard said. It was not known if the offenders had a car nearby but they initially left on foot.
Beard said police "had to assume they are armed" and the attack did not appear to be random.
"They appear to have known the people in there."
While the HFK gang has been in the Mt Roskill and Avondale areas for a number of years, Beard said there was "no evidence it is gang-related".
Police were canvassing the area, and a scene investigation was underway, along with other measures.
He wanted the public to assist police with finding the offenders.
"We want to assure the Mt Roskill community, so we have a number of extra patrols in the area.
"The patrols have access to firearms but they are not generally armed.
"From a patrolling point of view staff are very aware of gun violence, and we are taking it very seriously.
"So far we are doing an area canvas. There is nobody who appears to have witnessed what happened because it occurred within the address."
Police were looking for a motive.
Photo: RNZ / Katie Todd
A Mt Roskill resident said he was shaken and concerned following the fatal shooting in his neighbourhood.
Wei Wang said he lived nearby and walked down Glass Road every night.
He said it felt like a safe, family area, but there had now been two shootings in a matter of weeks.
"It shouldn't happen," he told RNZ, adding that he hoped to see more of a police presence in the area.
Another resident said new tenants had just moved into the property where the shooting took place.
Mount Roskill's MP Michael Wood said the homicide was distressing and upsetting.
Wood lives around the corner from the scene and said he heard police helicopters last night.
He asked people to support each other and the police.
"It's really important that we do give the police the space and support that they need to help to keep us safe, to find the people who are involved and to take it from there."
Wood also urged people not to get their information from rumours on social media.
Police are asking anyone with information relating to the incident or who saw suspicious activity in the area to contact them on 105, quoting file number 211224/4140 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.