CCTV footage shows people dragging body of man from back seat of car, shop owner says

Screams and gunshots were heard at an Auckland home shortly before a car fled the address - and two people were caught on camera dragging the body of a man from the backseat shortly afterwards,

The violent drama started early on Monday morning when police were called to a property in the Auckland suburb of St Johns.

A man who lives on nearby Truman St said he heard two gunshots and screaming about 6am.

"I heard a couple of shots ... and shouting and screaming - a man and a woman," he said, noting he distinctly remembered the time as the commotion woke him and his partner up.

The neighbour said the area was usually generally quiet otherwise.

A vehicle fled the address, said a spokesperson for the police, before stopping on Parkfield Terrace, a residential street in Grafton near the Auckland City Hospital.

The body of a man was seen there, covered with a sheet, around 7am.

Two people dragged the dead man from the back seat of a car onto the street, according to the owner of a nearby business.

The shop owner, who did not want to be named, said one the two people he saw on security camera footage could be seen pacing up and down the street between 6.30am and about 6.43am, immediately outside Parkfield Terrace and the main road on Khyber Pass Rd.

"A guy was on the phone for at least 10 to 15 minutes. He was just talking on the phone," said the shop owner.

"He looked calm. He was looking up and down the road."

It was as if the man was waiting for the police, said the business owner, and officers arrived shortly afterwards.

"They had plenty of time to run away."

"It's very scary and [I'm] sad, of course, and I'm worried. It's usually really busy even at that time on a normal day. It's a peaceful street."

As of 6pm Monday night, a police spokeswoman said no one had been arrested over the death.

"Police are currently speaking with witnesses and working to understand the circumstances of this incident.

"While this incident will be unsettling for the community initial indications suggest the parties "involved in the incident were known to each other."

• Anyone who has information that may help the investigation is encouraged to call Police on 105. Information can also be shared anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.