Two men gunned down in house

A police officer guards a house in Hokitika where two people were slain yesterday. Photo / Simon Baker

A 41-year-old Hokitika man will appear in the Greymouth District Court today on a count of murder after a double shooting in Hokitika yesterday afternoon.

The man is facing just one charge of murder while police establish details of a second pending charge.

The victims, both local men, were found shot dead at about 3pm at a house neighbours say belongs to an elderly couple.

West Coast area commander Senior Sergeant John Canning said police officers called to the address found a "distressed man" outside.

A search of the property revealed the bodies of two men inside the house and police cordoned off the house on Fitzherbert St and started a homicide inquiry.

Police this morning confirmed that a rifle was found at the house and said the names of two dead men, who were believed to be related, would be released later today after next-of-kin had been informed.

Their bodies remained in the house overnight and will today be taken to Christchurch for post mortem examinations to be carried out.

Residents on the street - the main highway road in Hokitika - said they were shocked after hearing about the incident.

Hokitika was "quiet and crime-free", one woman said.

Neighbour Ann-Marie Ferguson, 18, said she was taking out washing just after 2pm when she heard a raised male voice in what sounded like an argument.

"And then I heard 'bang, bang' and I thought it was their tin garage door slamming. I didn't think of a gun or anything like that. It's not something you want to think of anyway."

Ms Ferguson said things then went quiet and she didn't think anything more of it until police and an ambulance arrived. People began texting her to tell her what had happened.

She said an elderly couple lived at the house, but she understood the woman had been ill and in hospital recently. The man was "a happy old man", who recently fixed a fence between the properties.

She said she believed the old man was one of the dead people.

She had no idea who the second man was.

Police had come to Ms Ferguson's home and spoken to her but had not disclosed what took place.

Ms Ferguson said she had supplied police with contact numbers for family of the elderly man living next door.

Neighbour Monica Foster said the elderly couple had lived on the property for about 25 years and often had their adult children and teenage grandchildren visit.

Family members of the elderly couple were last night receiving counselling from victim support following the tragedy.

A victim-support worker told the Herald: "There's not a lot, as far as I'm aware, that they can tell us. It's still being investigated," he said.

Another neighbour said he did not hear a disturbance before the shooting.

An employee of the Hokitika Dental Surgery, directly opposite the homicide scene, heard what sounded like a gunshot on Monday night.

But Mr Canning confirmed the shootings took place yesterday afternoon.

Late last night the house, with the bodies still inside, was cordoned off.


- ADDITIONAL REPORTING: VAIMOANA TAPALEAO AND THE HOKITIKA GUARDIAN and NZPA