5.20pm
The criminal underworld has been put on notice by police hunting a gunman they describe as a cold-blooded and ruthless killer.
Nearly 24 hours after appealing to the criminals of South Auckland for the name of the killer who shot dead a pizza bar worker eight days ago, and a bank
teller yesterday, there had been only a lukewarm response.
Marcus Doig, 23, was "executed" by the gunman as he obeyed orders to lie on the floor at the Pakuranga Pizza Delivery Company.
His distraught father, Peter Doig, said his son had given the robber a paltry $250 in takings and as he got down to the floor, he was shot in the back of the head without warning and for no reason.
"How can you believe that? We don't go to war that way," Mr Doig said.
He said Marcus was never a threat to the gunman and his killing was an execution.
When the Doig family heard the gunman had killed for the second time in a week they were stunned and the news took them back to the terrible night they learnt of the death of Marcus.
Yesterday, ASB Bank teller John Vaughan was shot in the head moments after he gave the gunman a bag containing several thousand dollars at the bank's Mangere Bridge branch.
Both times the gunman screamed obscenities, wore similar cut off denim shorts and used the same rifle -- believed to be a semi-automatic .22 calibre weapon. Both his victims died from a single shot to the head.
Within hours of yesterday's shooting one of the country's top homicide police officers, Detective Inspector Steve Rutherford, said police had no doubt the same man killed Marcus Doig and Mr Vaughan. He also tried to rob the East Tamaki TAB on April 22 but no one was hurt during that raid.
Mr Rutherford said the killer almost certainly had a criminal background and would have been known to other criminals.
However, he said today the response from the criminal world was not as good as it could have been.
"I believe there is room for considerable improvement."
He said the lack of calls from criminals did not indicate a conspiracy of silence.
"It only takes one person out there with the knowledge."
A veteran policeman who signed on 30 years to the day before Marcus Doig was killed, Mr Rutherford said someone would know the killer and what he had done, and his accomplice who drove the getaway car, probably a black or dark blue four-door saloon with a spoiler on the boot.
He would also have a criminal background.
"A law-abiding citizen doesn't wake up and say: 'Today I am going to embark on aggravated robberies and shoot people down'.
"This is a young individual completely out of control and to say he is dangerous is an understatement."
Mr Rutherford said it was realistic to suggest the man could continue robbing and possibly killing.
Businesses handling cash have been told again to review their security and to do exactly as they were told if confronted by the gunman, although obeying orders did not save Marcus Doig or Mr Vaughan.
"Even that might not be any insurance. But you have got to do your best. We are doing our utmost but we can't put a policeman on every corner."
Yesterday, squads of armed police roamed South Auckland, prepared to take the firepower of the armed offenders squad to any callout where it was suspected they might confront the gunman, described as a Maori or possibly a Pacific Islander, between 175cm and 180cm tall with a thin to medium build.
Mr Rutherford refused to say if the armed police had been given orders to shoot to kill but he said every police officer knew how dangerous the man was, and had been told that police and public safety was paramount.
"They have been warned to take care with their safety. This guy is ruthless."
He said the police hope was that he gave himself up peacefully.
"We don't want any more human carnage but on the other side of the coin the stakes are high," Mr Rutherford said.
A substantial cash sum would be paid to anyone motivated by money who provided the name of the killer or his accomplice, Mr Rutherford said.
Today, detectives and uniformed police from Auckland police districts and Hamilton joined the homicide team, swelling numbers to 40.
The police hotline number is 0800 573383.
- NZPA
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5.20pm
The criminal underworld has been put on notice by police hunting a gunman they describe as a cold-blooded and ruthless killer.
Nearly 24 hours after appealing to the criminals of South Auckland for the name of the killer who shot dead a pizza bar worker eight days ago, and a bank
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