South Auckland family blame gangs for shooting death

The family of a young man shot dead during a street brawl in South Auckland say the killing was gang-related.

Haruru Pekepo, 19, died early on Sunday from a gunshot wound to his neck.

He was shot when 20 youths clashed at the intersection of Awa St and Nikau Rd in Otahuhu around 3am.

Several shots were fired and another man, 27, was injured. He was in a stable condition yesterday after surgery at Middlemore Hospital.

Relatives said Mr Pekepo lived with his girlfriend in a house a few metres from where he was killed. He had been at a party two houses away in Awa St.

A relative said the shootings stemmed from a clash between "opposing gangs" who were "being silly".

"The fight got a bit out of hand and gunshots got fired," she said.

A group of Mr Pekepo's friends gathered at the intersection yesterday but would not talk about the killing.

"Show some respect, we have a brother to bury," one man said.

Police said it was too soon to say if the incident was gang-related.

Detective Senior Sergeant Sue Schwalger said that so far there was no indication to say if gangs or drugs were involved.

"All I know is it was a fight. People had been drinking. It was a fight. As to why, we are still trying to piece that together."

Ms Schwalger would not say any more about the weapon used, other than that it was a rifle or long-barrelled gun and not a hand-held pistol or revolver.

"Several shots were fired during the fight," she said.

Resident Daphne Schollum said yesterday that she had had enough of the street and planned to ask Housing New Zealand to find her another home.

"There's always a party, constantly parties," she said, indicating to the house where the party was held before the fight spilled into the street.

Mrs Schollum was woken at 3.30am on Sunday to the sound of a woman screaming and sobbing.

"Such a terrible, broken-hearted sob, it was cruel."

Otahuhu town manager Graham Mullins said gang clashes were not uncommon in South Auckland. Gang members were mainly identified as Tongan Crips, who wear blue, or Samoan Bloods, in red.

Fights between the groups, captured on surveillance cameras in the business centre, had involved hammers and baseball bats.

A "big percentage" of fights involved teenagers on their way to school, Mr Mullins said.

"You can get a sense when you see a group together ... you can have a feeling that something is going to happen and next second it's all on, and they swell in numbers."

The town centre employed a daytime security officer and shoppers were not intimidated by gangs, but Mr Mullins said not enough was being done to stamp out the problem.