Man in court on murder charge in Christchurch

A man faces a murder charge after another man and a woman were gunned down in a Christchurch suburb last night.

The male victim died in hospital some hours after the shooting while the woman is in hospital with non life-threatening injuries following surgery.

The shootings took place in the driveway of a dwelling in Bishopdale in the northwest of the city about 7.30pm.

Police, who hunted the Raleigh Street area for some time after the shooting, later located a man in a nearby suburb and charged him with murder.

The arrested man was due to appear in Christchurch District Court this morning.

Detective Senior Sergeant Dave Landreth said the three people involved were all known to each other. The victims' names have not yet been disclosed.

The three people involved were in their 40s.

Police are not looking for anyone else over the shooting.

During the search for the man police wanted to question, residents were told to remain in their homes.

Raleigh St resident Jean Farrelly said she heard several shots.

"I was talking on the phone...I thought it was some sort of explosion."

She said a policeman came to the door and told her to stay inside.

- NZPA