Wellington Regional Hospital lockdown: Black Power member jailed for firing gun at rival’s car

Shoshonee Rayne-Bou Nirvana Pullan-Whakarau shot at a gang rival's car at Wellington Regional Hospital, causing the hospital to go into lockdown.

Before a young, newly patched Black Power member shot at a gang rival’s car in an emergency department carpark, leading to the lockdown of a Wellington hospital, he told his associates “he wanted to blow their heads off”.

Shoshonee Rayne-Bou Nirvana Pullan-Whakarau was staying in a motel near the hospital when several verbal altercations played out between him and another person staying at the motel, who was linked to the Mongrel Mob.

In response to the tension, Pullan-Whakarau, a 22-year-old from Taranaki, sourced a loaded long-barrel shotgun from an associate in Wellington, the New Plymouth District Court heard today.

He had been in the capital to visit a critically injured relative, 15-year-old Tama Whakarau, who was a passenger in a stolen ute fleeing police when it crashed near Ōtaki. The teen later died in hospital, while the driver, Reihana Hawea, 16, died at the April 26 crash scene.

On May 1, the person Pullan-Whakarau had been arguing with at the motel was visited by an associate patched to the Mongrel Mob.

Around 5.10pm another verbal altercation broke out between the groups and the Mongrel Mob member and his associate armed themselves with a knife and a machete.

The incident at Wellington Hospital sparked a large police response. Photo / RNZ

Shortly after, the Mongrel Mob member and his mate left the motel and drove to the hospital where they parked near the front entrance.

Meanwhile, Pullan-Whakarau grabbed the shotgun from his room and headed to the hospital with his associates.

He told them he wanted to blow the rivals’ heads off.

In the carpark of the emergency department, Pullan-Whakarau stopped a short distance from the Mongrel Mob member’s vehicle.

Pullan-Whakarau got out of the car and began shouting in his rival’s direction, with the shotgun by his side.

He returned to his car and drove closer to the rival before getting out again and approaching the vehicle.

Pullan-Whakarau stopped about 5m from the man’s car and pointed the firearm towards where he was seated.

Despite another family member coming along and attempting to stop him, Pullan-Whakarau fired one shot into the driver’s door.

No one was injured but the door was punctured by the shotgun pellets.

Pullan-Whakarau and his associates got back in their vehicle and drove off.

The incident sparked a large police response and caused the hospital to go into lockdown for a period.

In court, defence lawyer Nathan Bourke acknowledged it was serious offending but said beyond the “headlining-grabbing factors”, such as the gun and the gangs, there was more context.

Shoshonee Rayne-Bou Nirvana Pullan-Whakarau was sentenced in New Plymouth District Court. Photo / Tara Shaskey

He said there was a confluence of unique and stressful factors that saw Pullan-Whakarau act in a “completely uncharacteristic manner”.

“It was a mistake that won’t be repeated,” Bourke submitted.

He emphasised reports that showed Pullan-Whakarau was deeply remorseful. Bourke also submitted his client was young, a first-time offender, had attended a restorative justice conference, and immediately accepted responsibility.

Bourke argued the offending, perhaps by a fine margin, could be met with a sentence of home detention.

He submitted the premeditation was low as it was more of a response to Pullan-Whakarau being threatened by gang members armed with knives.

But police prosecutor John Simes submitted the premeditation was higher than Bourke stated, pointing out Pullan-Whakarau had obtained the firearm some days before.

Simes said this was against the backdrop of gang tension and that Pullan-Whakarau had taken the loaded gun to a busy public place which put the community at risk.

He acknowledged Pullan-Whakarau had only received his Black Power patch this year and said it was a very serious offence for someone who had not previously offended.

“That just shows the influence gangs have.”

Judge Gregory Hikaka agreed with Simes’ assessment of the premeditation, finding it was present to a high degree.

He said it was clearly gang-related violence and that it shut down a hospital, creating significant harm to the rival gang members involved and also members of the public who needed to be there.

“There is an arrogance involved in this sort of offending,” he said.

“To further a dispute with rival gang members you took it upon yourself, along with associates, to go to a highly public place and take your gang-related dispute to that public place and discharge the firearm in the presence of innocent members of the public.”

Judge Hikaka added Pullan-Whakarau seemed to have prioritised the gang issues rather than his injured relative in hospital.

On admitted charges of unlawful possession of a firearm and discharging a firearm to intimidate, the judge took a start point of four years imprisonment.

He then allowed 45% credit for factors including Pullan-Whakarau’s guilty pleas, young age, remorse, previous good character, time spent on electronically monitored bail, and totality.

After setting a jail term for Pullan-Whakarau of two years and two months, Judge Hikaka said premeditated gang-related violence in public places needed to be denounced.

“There needs to be a clear message to denounce and say ‘not good enough’ to people who are going to get into these confrontations.

“It’s bad enough when it’s physical punching and kicking and all the rest of it but it goes to a whole different level when firearms get involved.”

Tara Shaskey joined NZME in 2022 as a news director and Open Justice reporter. She has been a reporter since 2014 and previously worked at Stuff covering crime and justice, arts and entertainment, and Māori issues.