An Australian tourist was fatally shot and his terrified partner ran for several kilometres for help in an early-morning attack by a gunman who wanted to steal their campervan at Raglan. Video / Alan Gibson
Police have arrested a 23-year-old man and charged him with murder over the death of Australian tourist near Raglan yesterday.
Detective Inspector Graham Pitkethley said information from the public had contributed to finding the alleged offender.
The man will appear in Hamilton District Court today.
He has also been chargedwith aggravated robbery and threatens to kill.
Pitkethley confirmed the dead man was Sean McKinnon, 33. The police were supporting the family.
Sean McKinnon, 33, was killed in the early hours of Friday morning after a gunman tried to take the rental campervan he and his partner were sleeping in. Photo / Facebook
No one else was being sought at this point over the tragedy, Pitkethley said. The incident was a "random, tragic event".
All Pitkethley was willing to say about the alleged offender was that he was a Waikato local.
Some members of McKinnon's family had arrived in New Zealand and were speaking with police, he said.
The family were traumatised, he said.
Witnesses had come forward to help police find the man, he said.
"I want to thank those in our community who contacted police with information and assisted us with our investigation," he said.
"I also want to acknowledge the hard work from the investigators involved in this case.
"It is because of their dedicated efforts and the assistance from the public that police were able to make an arrest within 24 hours."
In response to an Australian journalist's question about whether tourists should be concerned that this was a "wider issue", Pitkethley pointed out the high level of media interest suggested the shooting was a "random and unusual" event.
McKinnon's partner, Bianca Buckley, a midwife at Counties Manukau DHB, ran two kilometres on a dark, rugged road to find help after she watched in horror as her fiance was shot.
