Mt Wellington firearms incident: Three arrested, sawn-off shotgun found

• Three people have been arrested after a firearms incident in Mt Wellington involving two vehicles.
• Occupants in one vehicle allegedly shot at the other vehicle.
• A 30-year-old man faces charges including unlawful possession of a firearm and intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

An altercation outside an Auckland restaurant led to a shot being fired and a police pursuit last night.

It’s the second firearms incident near a restaurant in Auckland overnight with separate police investigations now under way.

Police said the incident began about 8.40pm outside a restaurant on Lunn Ave in Mt Wellington.

Two groups of people had an “altercation” before the parties separated and got into two vehicles.

An altercation outside an Auckland restaurant in Mt Wellington led to a shot being fired and a police pursuit last night. Photo / Google

Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin said the occupants in one vehicle allegedly shot at the other vehicle.

“Both vehicles fled immediately after, however our staff were in the area and signalled one to stop.

“The other vehicle has continued on towards Mount Wellington and was tracked by the police helicopter heading towards Māngere.”

Baldwin said the police helicopter provided commentary as the vehicle pulled into a property on Mountain Rd, Māngere Bridge.

The occupants ran through properties and got into another vehicle.

“The offenders then continued onto the Southwestern Motorway towards Manurewa and officers attempted to stop it on Puhinui Rd, however, it failed to stop.

“A pursuit ensued towards a Burundi Ave address where two people were arrested, both with gang links.”

A sawn-off shotgun was also located in the vehicle.

“While officers were at the scene another vehicle drove through police cordons and failed to stop when signalled so that driver was also arrested. She was the partner of one of the arrested men.

“We know incidents like this are distressing for the wider community, so these swift arrests by our diligent staff are really pleasing and significant to ongoing public safety.”

The police investigation is continuing and further arrests are not excluded.

“We are keeping an open mind at this very early stage,” he said.

A 30-year-old man will appear in Auckland District Court today charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, failing to stop, and intent to cause grievous bodily harm with a firearm.

Baldwin said there were currently no known links between a later firearms incident in neighbouring Counties Manukau district.

Jaime Lyth is a multimedia journalist for the New Zealand Herald, focusing on crime and breaking news. Lyth began working under the NZ Herald masthead in 2021 as a reporter for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei.