Mary Hassett St overlooks the idyllic Mangōnui Harbour and despite Wednesday morning's events, it was quiet the next day. Photo / Brodie Stone
Residents in a tranquil Far North town feel unsettled after an alleged shooting in a sleepy suburban street.
Police were called to Mary Hassett St, Mangōnui, around 3.40am on Wednesday morning following reports a man had been shot.
He was airlifted to hospital in a critical condition and operated on, but has since stabilised.
Locals hoped the alleged incident was a one-off in their community which they considered safe.
The Northern Advocate visited the seaside settlement the day after and found the town getting on with life as normal.
But it was a different story the day previously as a heavy police presence could be seen near the scene of the alleged crime.
Police told the Advocate on Friday inquiries were continuing in order to locate the offender and establish what exactly happened.
“The victim remains in hospital in a stable condition and a scene examination has been completed.”
Anyone with information was urged to contact police.
The house where the alleged shooting occurred appeared uninhabited when the Advocate visited on Thursday.
Curtains and mismatched blankets sat draped over the windows, blocking any view into the back of the home.
Some residents told the Advocate the house was understood to be a rental and had been uninhabited until recently.
Mary Hassett St intersects with Colonel Mould Drive which sits atop a hill overlooking the pristine Mangōnui Harbour.
At the end of Colonel Mould Drive sits Mangōnui School.
The town, popular with tourists, is just a stone’s throw away from other holiday hotspots Coopers Beach and Taipa.
But many families reside permanently in Mangōnui too, leaving some residents concerned.
It was around 3am on Wednesday morning when some locals awoke to the sound of a dog barking.
One resident found it so unusual that she checked outside, but found nothing awry.
The rest of the morning unfolded dramatically when she heard a male voice exclaim a “bellow mixed with a groan”.
“It was awful actually.”
She felt the alleged shooting could become a regular occurrence failing a strong approach to gun ownership.
“The fact that, you know, there’s some of these young guys running around [allegedly] drug-addled and meth-addled coming into communities like this.”
Others reported hearing similar noises, one resident earlier telling the Advocate it sounded “like a tomcat howling”.
Some people reportedly heard a cry for help as well.
One resident with two young children didn’t feel comfortable leaving their home to investigate the noise.
The resident, who was first awakened by a dog, then heard an unidentified vehicle speed down the road so fast, “it was extraordinary”.
The engine could be heard heading toward Coopers Beach, she said.
“[They were] really wanting to get away fast.”
A police helicopter arrived not long after that.
“I thought the Army was coming in or something.”
Many other residents awoke to the sound of loud rotor blades as a helicopter swept over nearby properties with a spotlight.
Yet despite the fact the man was reportedly shot, no one heard it.
The incident has come as a shock to both visitors and residents.
One couple - a man and woman - said a shooting was unheard of after 18 years of visiting Mangōnui.
They were particularly surprised to have not heard anything that night.
The man - who did not want to be named - said he went to get the newspaper in the morning and saw at least three police cars on Mary Hassett St.
The pair were unsettled by the incident but hoped it was a one-off.
“It’s been too long a safe place.”
“We all know our neighbours, and it’s just really really community-minded.
“We’ve never ever felt threatened.”
When the Advocate visited, children were freely roaming the street just down from the scene. Others were playing on the school playground.
Despite an overall positive outlook, one resident thought the community might feel more cautious in the coming days.
“[This] area has always been a safe place.
“It’s a big concern all over to be honest.”
Brodie Stone is an education and general news reporter at the Advocate. Brodie has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.