Northland shooting: Mt Tiger tenant 'intimidating and aggressive', Wendy Campbell told friend

Shooting victim Wendy Campbell had only been managing 287 Mt Tiger Rd for a few months but in that time she'd already had problems with the tenant, who has been described as intimidating and aggressive towards her.

Campbell's good friend Julie Pepper said what happened at the rural Whangarei rental property yesterday was "unfathomable". But she said issues with the tenant's behaviour in that short time had caused Campbell to be concerned.

"I know there have been difficulties but I'm really not in a place to say what they are but I know she had some concerns and he had been intimidating and aggressive towards her in the past."

"This is an extremely sad tragedy and it's not a normal dealing of a property manager. It's certainly not what you expect when you go to work in the morning."

The 60-year-old Seek N Find property manager had gone to the Mt Tiger Rd home with her daughter Natanya Campbell, 37, and contractor Jeff Pipe yesterday morning to install smoke alarms and do a routine inspection.

All three were shot. Only Pipe, who remains in hospital in a stable condition, survived.

Pepper, who owns her own property management company, said she'd been friends with Campbell for many years.

"I meet Wendy as an employee, she came to work for me a number of years ago and in recent years has been out on her own."

Pepper has maintained a very close friendship with Campbell and her family.

She said dealing with conflict and aggressive tenants was part of the job sometimes but yesterday's shooting was anything but predictable.

Pepper said Campbell's daughter had only recently joined the company as a trainee property manager and was enjoying the role.

Natanya leaves behind four kids — a toddler, two high school students and one in their late teens.

The tragedy has been widely felt in Whangarei.

"it's going to leave a big gap in a lot of people's lives and it's certainly created a shock wave in the community. In Whangarei everybody knows everybody; the property managers are all in contact with each other on a semi regular basis so it's a huge shock to a lot of people."