Dozens of Head Hunter gang members gathered at the funeral today of one of the two victims who were shot dead at a property in rural Omanawa on Tuesday last week.
They were there to pay their respects to their friend, a 32-year-old associate of the motorcycle gang, while a number of police cars watched from a respectful distance.
Members of the Filthy Few motorcycle club, which have chapters in Tauranga and Rotorua, were also present.
Several vehicles revved their engines and spun their wheels, covering the road in smoke, on leaving the service. The funeral of the other shooting victim, a 43-year-old man, will be held in Tauranga tomorrow.
The identities of the two deceased were suppressed when a 25-year-old man appeared in the Christchurch District Court on Saturday and charged with their murders.