A traumatised mother has spoken of her horror after her two young children witnessed a fatal daylight gang shootout in an Auckland reserve from their living room window.
The Point England resident told the聽Herald聽she was in her bedroom while her children, aged 6 and 8, were watching television when gunshots rang out.
鈥淭hey saw two men firing guns at each other right outside our house.鈥
The children thought it was just men playing games with fake guns in Taurima Reserve, she recalled.
聽鈥淚 went out to find police officers by the reserve, they told my kids to get inside - that there had been a shooting.鈥
Two people were shot during the incident with one later dying in hospital.
Police have described it as 鈥渞eckless violence鈥 in community spaces and is 鈥渄eplorable鈥 to authorities and the public.
A family has been left traumatised after two young children witnessed a gang shootout on Taurima Ave, Point England. Photo / Jason Oxenham
The resident said she has been left 鈥渢raumatised鈥 and was on edge since the incident.
聽鈥淭hat evening I had to tell the children what they saw was not a game, that it was real life. The reserve has a playground, kids go there. I was thinking of letting my eldest play there on his own, but now I won鈥檛.
鈥淎s a parent we are insecure. I am just grateful we were not harmed in any way.鈥
It was not the first time police had attended to their street, Taurima Ave, for incidents, she said.
Police officers at the scene of a disorder event where a person was shot dead at Taurima Reserve in Point England, Auckland on Saturday. Photo / Hayden Woodward
Earlier today, an聽聽in Point England told the聽Herald聽he heard what sounded like a shootout on Saturday afternoon.
鈥淭wo guns, with one gun going, 鈥榗rack crack crack鈥.
鈥淎bout six cracks, and I heard a 鈥榖oom鈥 it was a gunshot,鈥 he said. 鈥淭here was a large group there, about three or four cars full. They sped off out of Taurima Ave right after.鈥
Police said they were called to Taurima Reserve at 2.40pm following several reports of disorder and sounds of gunshots. A critically injured man took himself to Auckland Hospital with gunshot wounds but later died.
Police guarding Auckland's Middlemore Hospital after a man presented with a gunshot wound. Photo / Hayden Woodward
Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin said the police homicide investigation team had been looking into the circumstances of how the incident at Taurima Reserve unfolded.
鈥淲hat we know is that an altercation took place at the reserve between two groups resulting in shots being discharged.
鈥淭his reckless violence especially, when it happens in public spaces, is deplorable to police and the public. Our team is working with determination in this investigation to identify the parties involved.
鈥淧art of our investigation is focused on reviewing CCTV from the area, which is proving beneficial to our inquiries.鈥
Baldwin said police would be looking to make arrests at the earliest opportunity.
鈥淲e know a number of men assembled near both ends of Taurima Reserve, prior to the incident on Saturday afternoon, and shortly afterwards a number of vehicles fled the area after shots were fired,鈥 he said.
鈥淧olice are aware that people in the community will have footage of the incident, either on CCTV or their phones, and this is a valuable way for members of the community to assist us to hold people to account.鈥
Baldwin said a post-mortem examination was expected to be carried out today for the man who died.
鈥淎s part of this process, formal identification will also be carried out. Until then we are not in a position to confirm further details around the man.鈥
Police had spoken with a number of people so far, but were asking anyone with information or CCTV footage to get in contact with them.
Armed police officers also spent Saturday night guarding Middlemore Hospital after an injured man arrived at the Emergency Department with a gunshot wound.
Police are investigating whether the person at Middlemore Hospital with gunshot wounds is linked to the Point England shooting.
While investigations were under way the Point England community would notice a greater police presence, a spokesperson said.
鈥淲e would like to reassure people that this was an isolated incident, with no ongoing risk believed to be posed to the wider public.鈥
Meanwhile, a manhunt continues for聽聽and a homicide investigation has been launched after Sione Tuuholoaki died in hospital from his wounds after a shooting on Queen St last Thursday night.
Two weeks ago, ten people were wounded and three died, including gunman聽, in a mass shooting at a construction site in downtown Auckland.
Akula Sharma is an Auckland-based reporter who joined the聽贬别谤补濒诲听in 2022. She has previously worked at the聽Gisborne Herald.
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