Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Students, staff hit by pellets fired into school sports day

Rotorua Daily Post
10 Feb, 2017 12:41 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Police at Western Heights High.
Police at Western Heights High.

Police at Western Heights High.

Four students and one staff member have been hit by pellets fired into Western Heights High School grounds during its sports day.

The incident sent the school into lockdown for about an hour this afternoon. It has now been lifted.

In a statement, the school said:

"There was an incident today where pellets were fired into the school grounds during sports day. Four students and one staff member reported being hit by these pellets.

"As a precaution, and to ensure student and staff safety, police were contacted and the school was put into lockdown.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Police conducted inquiries in the neighbourhood. They have now informed us that the situation is under control and have released us from lockdown."

A police spokesperson said police were called around 1.10pm after reports that a slug gun or similar had been discharged in the vicinity of the school.

"No one has required medical attention. Police have made inquiries in the area and have spoken to those they believe were involved. There is not believed to be any ongoing public safety risk at this time."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The school has posted on its Facebook page the situation was under control and lockdown conditions had been lifted.

It said students would be released at 2.45pm and buses will leave at the normal time.

Earlier:

A staff member said someone on the outside fence line of the school was shooting a BB gun at students on the field.

He said "a couple" of students and a teacher were hit.

"Everyone is calm, nobody is freaking out," he said.

A post on the school's Facebook page says:

"The school has gone into lockdown as a precaution because of a disturbance in the neighbourhood. Students are safe. Police are assisting. We ask that parents do not come to the school. We will advise you as soon as lockdown procedures have been lifted."

A police media spokeswoman confirmed police were at the school, but could not provide more details.

Deputy principal Lyn Henshilwood said there was no threat to students and they were taken inside as a precaution.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

It was the school's sports day today, she said.

A reporter at the scene said the school gates were closed and two police cars could be seen on the school grounds.

Western Heights High School is in lockdown. Photo/Georgina Harris
Western Heights High School is in lockdown. Photo/Georgina Harris

Shona Turnbull was at the school gates. Her son is a Year 11 student at the school. She said she got a Facebook message to say the school was in lockdown so went to the school to make sure he was okay.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

Where there's smoke: 'Firefighter Cody' praised for quick actions

Rotorua Daily Post

Send in the drones: Call for aerial crackdown on dirt bikers

Rotorua Daily Post

One dead in SH30 crash near Rotorua


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Recommended for you

Napier teen wins gold at Australasia's largest boxing tournament
Hawkes Bay Today

Napier teen wins gold at Australasia's largest boxing tournament

Pastures Past: Before the vet was just a call away
The Country

Pastures Past: Before the vet was just a call away

Juvenile filly shines like diamond in season’s last black-type race
Racing

Juvenile filly shines like diamond in season’s last black-type race

Vege tips: Daikon radishes and pickled vegetables
The Country

Vege tips: Daikon radishes and pickled vegetables

'I broke the rule of my grandfather': All Blacks' brother on 75 hours lost at sea
Kahu

'I broke the rule of my grandfather': All Blacks' brother on 75 hours lost at sea

Facing challenges: Kauri Museum seeks sponsors to secure future
Northern Advocate

Facing challenges: Kauri Museum seeks sponsors to secure future



Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Where there's smoke: 'Firefighter Cody' praised for quick actions
Rotorua Daily Post

Where there's smoke: 'Firefighter Cody' praised for quick actions

The quick-thinking student acted on instinct after seeing smoke while he was driving home.

26 Jul 12:00 AM
Send in the drones: Call for aerial crackdown on dirt bikers
Rotorua Daily Post

Send in the drones: Call for aerial crackdown on dirt bikers

25 Jul 05:00 PM
One dead in SH30 crash near Rotorua
Rotorua Daily Post

One dead in SH30 crash near Rotorua

25 Jul 01:49 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search