Series of gunshots concern Tauranga residents

Gunshots from what sounds like a semi-automatic weapon has concerned Tauranga residents.

A Welcome Bay resident, who would not be named, sent the Bay of Plenty Times a video of the gunshots that could be heard around Asher and Kaiwha roads last night.

The resident said while they had heard shotguns in the area before, he had not heard anything like the one in the video.

"It was an uneasy feeling given the recent event in Christchurch. But it's quite normal hearing a single gunshot up this part of Welcome Bay," he said.

"I just thought it was a bit crazy going about it like that with so many houses in close proximity to where I think the shots were coming from," the resident said.

He said the gunshots went on for about 30 minutes.

Yesterday, New Zealand Governor General Patsy Reddy formally signed into effect sweeping gun laws outlawing military style weapons, less than a month after a man used such guns to kill 50 people and wound dozens at two mosques in Christchurch.