Shock at senseless loss of young lives

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Opinion

Gisborne has been in shock and whānau and friends are mourning after two lives were taken and three people were seriously injured in a fight in Elgin on Saturday night that spilled out from a 21st birthday party.

It is especially tragic that the deceased include the man whose birthday was being celebrated. A member of his whānau posted about their devastating loss, on “what was supposed to be his special night”, on Facebook yesterday.

Reports that this involved 100 people brawling in a Gisborne street were exaggerated, but the enormity of what happened does not change — the lives of two young men have been extinguished, and another remains in a critical condition in Gisborne Hospital, resulting from an altercation that started when two people arrived at the party who were not welcome, and because at least one person has used a knife.

Police responded to multiple calls around 11.30pm of a mass disorder incident at the corner of Lytton Road and Manuka Street, and were quick to bring it under control. One man was arrested at the scene. CPR was performed on the two deceased men in an attempt to save their lives.

St John ambulance officers were also quick to arrive.

By all acounts our emergency services did extremely well in what would have been a confronting situation; as it will have been for everyone present.

While Black Power gang members were involved, on Sunday police were quick to allay concerns that this might be an inter-gang conflict with the ongoing repercussions that could entail. Extra officers, detectives and forensic experts have come into the district to assist with the inquiry and help provide community reassurance.

“Some of the people present, including those who arrived — the uninvited guests — were gang members, or associates of gang members, but this party was a whānau and friends party to celebrate a birthday,” Detective Inspector Dave de Lange, who has come in from Hawke’s Bay to lead the homicide inquiry, told RNZ yesterday.

Police Minister Mark Mitchell was also quick to get to Gisborne to support the police operation and the community as it comes to terms with the tragedy. He and East Coast MP Dana Kirkpatrick called into The Herald yesterday afternoon and both were very complimentary of the emergency response on Saturday, and how the community was pulling together. They felt sure this was an isolated incident and there was no need for people to be afraid.

The 29-year-old man who was arrested on Saturday night was remanded in custody yesterday and granted interim name suppression.