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Police have arrested a man after releasing "chilling" security footage of a gunman who shot an Auckland dairy owner.
Xu Mei Ying, 46, was working at her family's Lynnray Dairy in Rua Rd, New Lynn, on Saturday when the man, carrying a long-barrelled gun, walked in about 2.20pm, says Detective Steve Norris.
When he demanded cigarettes, Ms Ying reached for a secret alarm and the man shot her in the upper left arm at a range of less than 1.5m. It is thought the weapon may have been an air gun.
An 18-year-old is due to appear the Waitakere District Court to face four firearm and burglary charges.
He was picked up from a Henderson address late last night after a public tip off.
This morning Mr Norris said: "As a result of the media appeal the night before we got a pretty quick response and it resulted in a very early resolution.
"We had a number of calls, all relating to the same person."
Mr Norris said police arrested the man at a residential address at about 1am. He said the accused man had been cooperative with police.
Last night Mr Norris said: "The chilling intent of the actions of [the man seen on camera] is clearly visible for all to see.
"He has shot his victim without warning and at close range."
Ms Ying spent the night in hospital and was expected to have surgery on her arm yesterday. She was in a stable condition.
Police yesterday released security footage.
"These images give a clear description of the offender so there will be someone who will know both his identity and his whereabouts," Mr Norris said at the time. "We hope these people come forward to tell us."
The man was described as a Polynesian in his late teens or early 20s, about 1.82m tall with a solid build.
He was wearing a blue and white plaid long-sleeved shirt over the top of a long white T-shirt, had an Afro-style haircut and was wearing sunglasses.
The weapon used was a long-barrelled firearm, similar in appearance to an air rifle or a .22 rifle. It had a regular stock wooden frame.
The robber ran from the dairy and left the scene in a waiting vehicle driven by a second person.
The vehicle was described as a light blue Ford or Mazda hatchback, possibly a 1980s model.
The car would have been travelling on West Coast Rd before heading towards Glen Eden about 2.30pm, Mr Norris said.
Police asked anyone who knew the man to call Henderson police on 09-839- 0600.
This month 10,000 people marched in South Auckland to highlight the issue of violence against Asians after three people of Asian descent died in homicides in Manukau City in a month.
Manurewa liquor store owner Navtej Singh, 30, was fatally shot at his shop on June 7.
A week later, Yan Ping Yang, 80, died after being attacked by an intruder in her home.
On June 16, Joanne Wang, 39, was knocked down by a stolen vehicle in the Manukau City mall carpark after her handbag was snatched. She died in hospital.
- NZPA, with NEWSTALK ZB
