KEY POINTS:
A blaze in the Waikato village of Waharoa that left a house "stuffed" is believed to be an act of revenge, after a man was shot dead yesterday, locals say.
Fire Service, ambulance and police staff were called out to the house in Hedley St after 9 o'clock
last night to a large fire, which left the house "absolutely gone", one local said.
Witnesses told the Herald that the fire was an act of retaliation for the death of Desmond Francis Paddy Arahanga, 28, who was shot in a drive-by shooting early yesterday.
"The owner of the house wasn't there - he was on the run," one local said. "This is connected. It [this fire] will be like a revenge thing."
The blaze occurred as police continued their investigation into the killing, in which the victim - also known as Ollie or Olson Desmond Gage - was shot several times.
Police last night would not comment on whether the fire was connected to the shooting, but locals said they felt the inferno was gang-related.
Police investigating the drive-by attack are appealing for information from a group who were at a party.
Detective Inspector Peter Devoy said the investigation was covering two scenes, the McGowan St house outside which Mr Arahanga was killed and the other house at Hedley St, about 200m away. A large number of people are still to be interviewed today by a team of 20 police.
Two separate rounds of shots were heard by neighbours after a quarrel outside the McGowan St house around at 1 am.
"Despite the best efforts of both police and ambulance staff that attended, the victim died of his wounds at the scene," said Waikato crime services manager Detective Inspector Peter Devoy.
Speaking from the Matamata police station, about 7km from the scene, he said no arrests had been made and no weapon recovered.
"We are speaking to groups of people and trying to assess information as we go.
"As we make our way around we are finding more witnesses."
Mr Devoy called for co-operation from the community, asking that the police be the "first port of call" for anyone who had information.
"I can confirm some of the people involved are gang associates. But it appears to be more of a community issue than a gang issue," said Mr Devoy.
A McGowan St resident, who asked not to be named, told the Herald: "About one o'clock I was watching TV and all of a sudden I heard chung, chung, chung - about three or four shots - and heard a car take off.
"I heard a car come back and heard another lot of shots and then heard a whole lot of screaming."
Another McGowan St resident, Manuae Panapa, said a birthday party for her neighbour was going on at the neighbour's house when she went to bed.
"I woke up hearing yelling outside and it sounded close," she said.
"There were a lot of people out there. I saw a car racing off in one direction and next police cars and ambulance came.
"It was like something really has gone bad here."
Mrs Panapa said she had not been aware of a gang problem in the village but the shooting had shocked residents.
"I've been here for five years and never had a problem."
