Police appeal for sightings of burnt-out car after Palmerston North gang killing

Police are looking for information about a white 2005 Nissan Teana, registration HLQ924. Photo / NZ Police

Police are appealing for sightings of a white Nissan after a young Mongrel Mob member was fatally shot in front of his Palmerston North home on Sunday.

The killing follows a weekend of high tension in the city, including clashes in which a Black Power member was de-patched and had his finger cut off in a revenge-fuelled attack.

Meanwhile, police have invoked new legislation to disrupt gang activity, giving officers powers to search vehicles and the occupants of vehicles of suspected gang members and to seize their weapons during times of conflict.

Police were called to an address on Croydon Ave at 2.35pm on Sunday after reports a firearm was discharged. They found a man with critical injuries who later died at the scene.

Detective Senior Sergeant Dave Thompson said the man’s body was removed from the scene yesterday and a formal blessing of the site was completed with the family present.

A post-mortem examination was completed today, Thompson said.

Police are continuing to investigate the death and have identified a vehicle of interest - a white 2005 Nissan Teana, registration HLQ924.

“Police believe this vehicle was in the Croydon Ave area at the time of the shooting, and it was located a short time later on Aranui Road, burnt-out,” Thompson said.

“There are a number of roads this vehicle may have taken to get to Aranui Rd from the Highbury area, and police would like to hear from anyone that has CCTV which show the roads this vehicle may have travelled on.”

Thompson said the Nissan may have been travelling in convoy with at least one more vehicle, and was likely travelling at speed.

Anyone with information about the movements of the car can contact police on 105 and quote file number 230806/2952.

Georgina Campbell is a Wellington-based reporter who has a particular interest in local government, transport, and seismic issues. She joined the Herald in 2019 after working as a broadcast journalist.