An Auckland doctor’s surgery has been targeted in a suspected drive-by shooting.
The bullet, which pierced the front windowpane of the Waiake Medical Centre in Torbay on the North Shore, was thought to have been fired from a vehicle.
A glass fragment was found on a patient bed after the bullet flew into the window and became lodged.
“A bit of glass popped through onto the bed of Dr Scarlett Pulham’s room behind. Luckily there was no one inside,” said a spokesperson from the practice.
“We feel very fortunate this happened overnight. Had it occurred during the day, a team member or one of our 3000 patients could have been seriously hurt.”
A report has been made to police and the clinic has looked to install more security cameras.
The hole was noticed just before 8am yesterday when doctors showed up for work, with frosted film credited for preventing the glass from shattering.
The doctor’s said glass was found scattered across the consulting room.
Police are aware of the incident and are in “very early” stages of inquiries.
The practice, which had recently “spent lots of money” on renovations, expected maintenance time to take a toll on patients.
“It’ll be a bit hard to have patients here when it gets fixed so we’ll need to close for a morning or afternoon.
“It will massively affect schedules. These are people with real health concerns.”
Because the clinic’s cameras only had peripheral street view, those responsible were not captured on security footage, the spokesperson said.
“It’s disappointing when we are here trying to save lives and then this happens.”
The healthcare provider pleaded with parents to have a talk to their kids.
“It affects real people. And if it’s not kids, then we as a community need to be hyper-vigilant.”
One Torbay resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said that in an earlier incident, a window in his car was shattered in a drive-by shooting, and he believed a BB gun was used.
The SUV was parked on Deverell Place just before Christmas, when in the early hours of the morning, a vehicle drove past and an occupant shot at the parked car, shattering the back window.
CCTV footage showed the vehicle slowing down and moments later, a loud crack ringing out.
The owner was alerted an hour later by a builder who had come to carry out repairs on his house.
He said the incident reinforced the value of cameras and he has since installed more around his property.
“My advice to people would be if you are using night vision, figure out how to do it without using infrared as the picture isn’t as clear, if you need number plates and things.”
Comments by other locals said a similar incident happened at Gull Torbay, while another person claims they were shot at outside the suburb’s Four Square.
Waitemata East area prevention manager Aron McKeown said police are unaware slug-gun crime has escalated in Torbay and surrounding suburbs.
“Police are not immediately aware of this becoming an issue, and would encourage anyone who is the victim of a crime or witnesses any suspicious activity to contact police immediately.”
BB guns are treated as firearms under the Arms Act, meaning misuse can lead to fines of up to $4000 or three years’ imprisonment.
Carrying a BB gun in public without a lawful reason is considered a serious offence.