Neighbours say scene of Auckland shooting a 'drug dealing place'

Police inspect a damaged sign at Yates Park after three men were shot. Photo / Simon Collins

Neighbours near Yates Park in Mangere say they have seen drug dealing in the park where three men were shot last night.

Police have called for information from the public following the shooting overnight which put at least three people in hospital with gunshot wounds.

Dawn Williams, 58, who lives opposite the park, said the small reserve was "a drug dealing place".

"We see it," she said.

Another neighbour said she saw the same cars visiting the park regularly.

"We called the police for suspicions of drug dealing but they didn't do anything about it," the neighbour said.

Police Detective Senior Sergeant Kevin Tiernan told reporters at the scene that he was "slightly disappointed by the lack of cooperation by the people who were at the scene" when three shots were fired into a crowd of 30 to 40 people who were drinking in the park.

"We have almost spoken to no one from the group of people in the deserve," he said.
He said ESR experts had confirmed that all three shots came from a shotgun but police had not recovered a weapon.

Mr Tiernan said about 40 people were drinking in the Yates Rd Reserve just before 4.30am today when a man entered the reserve with a gun and fired three shots at the group.

"A 22-year-old man was taken to Middlemore Hospital with gunshot wounds to his legs and abdomen. He has now been transferred to Auckland Hospital and whilst his injuries are serious, they are not thought to be life-threatening," he said.

"A 16-year-old male was also taken to Middlemore Hospital, with gunshot wounds to his legs. He remains in Middlemore Hospital with moderate injuries.

"A 24-year-old man presented himself to Middlemore Hospital with gunshot wounds to his legs. He is also in Middlemore Hospital with moderate injuries."

Police have cordoned off an area of the road and armed police are standing guard. Photo / Daniel Hines

Police are making a large number of inquiries and are going door to door in the Yates Rd area this morning.

Police have cordoned off an area of the road and armed police are standing guard.

"At this point in time though, very few of the people who were gathered in the reserve have spoken to police," Mr Tiernan said.

"This is a very serious incident, we have a person who has fired off a gun into a crowd of people. We need to speak to anyone who was there about what they heard and saw, even if it's anonymously through the Crimestoppers line (0800 555 111)." says

Anyone with information is asked to either send a private message to the Counties Manukau Police Facebook page or call the station on 09 2611 300.