On February 8 1997 Stephen Anderson went on a shooting spree at his family lodge just out of the small North Island town of Raurimu. He killed six people including his own father and wounded four before he fled into the bush. Two decades on, the Herald revisits the madman, the massacre and the memories.
A couple who survived the 1997 Raurimu massacre have opened up for the first time in two decades about the terrifying experience and the impact it has had on their lives.
On February 8 1997 Stephen Lawrence Anderson gunned down six people and wounded five others during a rampage ata ski lodge just out of Raurimu in the central North Island.
Anderson's parents Helen and Neville owned the lodge and had invited a group of friends to spend the weekend with them.
The family were preparing to go and watch boat racing on Lake Taupo when Anderson came charging down the driveway with a gun.
Both Rodney and Kim spoke to the Weekend Herald about that day.
It is the first time they have given a full interview about the massacre.
"There are a lot of moments I would like to go back and do again that day - and do it right," Rodney said.
"I wouldn't have given Anderson the opportunity ... that was my crime ... if I'd shot him, then my father would still be alive.
"I know I did everything I could that day, I know I didn't do too bad a job because I got my two kids out, and my mum, but in the back of my mind my dad still died because I didn't kill Stephen Anderson.
"I still feel guilty about that; even though I know I shouldn't, I still do. You can't just bury that."
Rodney was shot in the face by Anderson as he ran, trying to lure the gunman away from his family.
He was badly injured, but survived.
Kim Van De Wetering. Photo / Brendon O'Hagan
Kim was not physically injured, but lives with the emotional scars of seeing her father-in-law being shot in front of her.
"I remember every single second, every minute, every detail, every sound, every smell, every fear, every moment, feeling facing evil, feeling not being able to run, feeling watching while your children and husband were being shot at, the feeling as the killer approached and you knew it was over, but somehow it wasn't," she said.
"It's like it was only yesterday, it's just less fearful now."
If you need help, or you are concerned about the mental health of a family member, friend or anyone else, please reach out for help.
•Lifeline - 0800 543 354 or (09) 5222 999 within Auckland
