Woman shot dead in West Auckland, is the latest in a worsening spate of gun violence across the city. Video / NZ Herald
A man has been charged with murder after a woman was shot dead in West Auckland last night.
Police arrested a 34-year-old man over the death of the woman, who was found with gunshot wounds on Newington Rd in Henderson shortly before 9pm on Tuesday.
The man is due toappear in the Waitākere District Court today.
"While we are in the very early stages of our investigation, we believe this was an isolated incident and the pair are known to each other," Detective Inspector John Sutton said.
"We want to reassure the community that we do not believe there is a wider risk to the public."
"Usually there's random fireworks all year around here but this was like 'bang bang' and then a pause and then sort of two other shots and then [a] woman screamed, and then I was like 'f***, scary'. And then my stomach dropped into my guts."
The neighbour said she didn't know who lived at the house where the woman died but she thought it was down a row of houses.
After the shooting and screaming "you could hear a car burning away" before the police arrived, she said.
"I know that the gangs are around the corner and over the bridge. That's where they usually are. They're pretty close.
"They often have their meetings and there's motorcycles screaming everywhere. But they don't usually come this side of the river."
A tent is erected outside a property where a woman was fatally shot in Henderson last night. Photo / Hayden Woodward
The river the woman was referring to is Oratia Stream, which is just behind the row of houses where the woman was shot.
Despite the gang proximity, the Newington Rd resident insisted it was generally a very calm, quite street - aside from some screaming children.
"Nothing's ever happened before. It's a really lovely street."
A second resident, who has lived in the street for more than 20 years, said he heard five gunshots last night. He went outside to look and saw police with guns "running around the street".
The row of three houses where the woman died had only been built in the last three or four years.
He said there had hardly ever been any commotion on the street in his time there, although he was aware of the Head Hunters gang clubrooms around the corner.
"It was 8.40pm when the shots went off and we thought it was from down the bottom (near the river) by the Head Hunters. We've been here 20-odd years and we've heard them being raided but we've never had any of this."
Police forensic staff in hazmat suits remain at scene of the shooting today.
The team could be seen coming in and out of the property with several cameras.
It also appeared police had hooked up a hose to a hydrant on the kerb.
The property where the woman died is in a row of houses down a drive on a slanting hill down to the street behind.
Woman died despite immediate first aid
The woman was found critically injured when they were called shortly before 9pm.
