Police chased down a man who fled after allegedly shooting a teenager and leaving him wounded and bleeding in a Masterton street on Saturday.
Masterton police Detective Sergeant Bill Van Woerkom said a Woodville man, 32, was arrested after police responded to reports of gunfire at the southern end of Makora Road about 4.55am on Saturday. The shooting victim, 17, of Masterton, was taken to Wairarapa Hospital after a crowd of angry partygoers attacked the attending ambulance before he was transferred to Hutt Hospital in a serious but stable condition where he had surgery on Saturday night.
His injuries were not thought to be life-threatening.
Mr Van Woerkom said officers pursued a vehicle seen leaving the scene at the time of the shooting and stopped the driver at Gladstone, east of Masterton, arresting and charging him with failing to stop.
He said a shotgun was found soon afterward beside the Masterton to Martinborough Road near Gladstone that has been linked to the shooting.
The man is to appear today in Masterton District Court on related charges of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of an offensive weapon and failing to stop.
Mr Van Woerkom said the shooting is believed to have capped a simmering feud between two groups of neighbours. He said an imitation pistol and crossbow were also found during a scene examination at Makora Road and he expects further charges will be laid.
Masterton police Acting Senior Sergeant Carolyn Watson said police and ambulance officers had arrived at the scene soon after 5am and were greeted in the street by an angry crowd of up to 30 partygoers from each of the addresses involved in the shooting.
She would not confirm that crossbow arrows and slug pellets had been fired immediately before gunshots were heard and said a 1-year-old girl who lives at one of the addresses was not home at the time of the shooting.
Ms Watson said police cordoned the street on Saturday and were still interviewing residents, partygoers and neighbours late that same morning but were not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.
Ms Watson said about 20 officers were working the case on Saturday including at least one uniformed officer wearing a side-arm, detectives, a police photographer and two officers guarding the scene.
Wairarapa Ambulance Services manager Debi Lodge-Schnellenberg said the teenager received gunshot wounds to his right knee with less serious gunshot injuries to his left knee and right shoulder. He also received wounds to his head during the incident. She said two ambulances were sent to the scene of the shooting and a crowd of drunken or drugged partygoers laid siege to one of the vehicles after police directed the drivers to a nearby safe arrival point.
"People were shouting and swearing and banging on the side of the ambulance apparently angry that the ambulance didn't drive straight to the injured man."
She said the shot man had been taken by ambulance from the same location with an arm injury a week earlier.
The Times-Age reported the earlier incident on January 21 when the teenager was hurt in a brawl that broke out between the same Makora Road residents that also left a woman injured and led to the arrest of seven people.
Teenager shot in legs as alleged feud boils over
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