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Police continue hunt for those behind Wattle Downs suspected double homicide
Police have been hunting through the night for those responsible for a suspected double homicide in Wattle Downs, South Auckland, on Thursday.
Emergency services responded to reports of a woman unresponsive at an address on Gambare Place about 1.45pm.
The woman was pronounced dead at the scene and, during a search of the property, police found a man who was also pronounced dead.
Detective Inspector Tofilau Faamanuia Va’aelua said the offender or offenders fled the scene prior to officers arriving.
On Thursday evening, armed police stood guard in front of the house, as neighbours looked on.
Dianna Kereopa-Turner had lived in the street her whole life. She told RNZ she had just returned home when “havoc started going on” outside.
“We thought it was our nail gun for our sleepout that we’re building going off … and then it was quite loud,” Kereopa-Turner said.
“But no, it was shooting. All we heard was gun. Then my sister came out of her room and said ‘somebody out there’s shooting’, so we gathered in whoever was loose around the house and stayed inside.”
She said the victims had only just moved in to the street: “It’s sad to know that whatever trouble was following them, obviously followed them right to the doorstep, and unfortunately it happened on this street where there’s a lot of kids and a lot of elderly people.”
RNZ / Erin Johnson
Many residents had been unable to return to their homes on Gambare Place and adjoining Volante Avenue while police cordons closed the roads on Thursday afternoon, with armed police stationed at the cordons.
Another Gambare Place resident, Bobbie, said she had been at the doctors and tried to return home around 2.45pm.
“The street was already closed off, so I thought, ‘oh better shoot over to the school and pick up my niece’, got over there and it was locked down as well.”
Bobbie said they were allowed to go home just after 5pm.
She said, once home, she talked with neighbours and some were quite shocked.
While the cordon was in place, police were seen working behind a white tarpaulin on Volante Avenue. Police later confirmed staff had moved the victims to a safe location, away from the scene, to render first aid, while other staff continued working to clear the scene and make it safe.
Va’aelua said the incident appeared to be isolated, but police were not able to “rule anything out”, and were now determining the exact cricumstances of the incident.
“This is an awful set of events and no doubt unsettling for everyone involved and the wider community.”
Anyone with information on the incident that could help police with enquiries could contact 105.
rnz
The chief executive of the Parliamentary Service is confident there will be enough room to accommodate the increased number of MPs and their staff coming into Parliament.
On current numbers, up to 131 MPs could be sitting in the Chamber following the election, brought on by a record overhang result.
Clerk of the House of Representatives Dr David Wilson told the Spinoff that currently the debating chamber had enough chairs to seat 124 MPs – including the Speaker of the House – and work was being done to accommodate more by altering the seating arrangement.
In a statement, Parliamentary Service chief executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero said planning for a larger Parliament had been going for “some time”.
“Now that the election results have confirmed an increase to the number of members we are looking at several options.
“We are confident we will be able to accommodate all members within the Chamber.”
VNP / Phil Smith
Gonzalez-Montero said office accommodation for members and their staff would be “stretched” for a short time, but the new Members’ Building was only a few months away from “practical completion”.
That building – located behind Parliament – was due to be ready to occupy in April next year and had capacity to accommodate around 30 backbench MPs.
“All members should be in fit-for-purpose accommodation from that point,” Gonzalez-Montero said.
Following the 2023 election, 123 MPs sat in the Chamber – a record number at the time. That decreased to 122 following the resignation of National MP Judith Collins.
Collins held the seat of Papakura and stepped down in May and Parliament voted against holding a by-election because it was too close to the election.
The election result also meant high-ranking National Party MPs like Chris Bishop, Paul Goldsmith, Nicola Willis and Gerry Brownlee – Speaker of the House and an MP for 30 years – would likely not make it back into Parliament.
Only resigning or retiring MPs were permitted to give a valedictory speech meaning none of them would get the chance to give a valedictory statement.
Asked if their would be special allowances for valedictories, Wilson said in a statement that normally only MPs were allowed to speak in the House but the House could suspend its own rules or temporarily alter them.
“It could do so to allow former members to address the House.”
Wilson said no such arrangements could be made until the next Parliament opened and members sworn in.
rnz
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