Auckland gang shootings: Inside the fearful life of an innocent target

Pseudonyms have been used in this article to ensure people's safety.

Late on a cool autumn evening, Auckland woman Shannon was sleeping soundly in bed.

Seconds later, she was on the floor, clutching her head - desperately searching for the bullet wound she feared would claim not only her life but that of her children.

This has been the terrifying reality for innocent Aucklanders caught up in rival gang tensions that come closer to taking a life every time the trigger is pulled.

It's left Shannon traumatised, destroying her usual social nature and replacing it with a strong distrust of new people.

It has even forced her to leave Tāmaki Makaurau - a city she doesn't feel safe in any more.

"This is the end of Auckland for me," she told the Herald.

'Missed my head by inches'

Shannon, who spoke exclusively to the Herald under the assurance of anonymity, was sleeping in bed with her children just after 11pm on Tuesday, May 24 when she heard dogs barking at her Rathagar Rd property in Henderson, West Auckland.

Pulling the blinds open, she caught a glimpse of a shadowy figure.

Shannon was inches away from being hit by bullets fired through her bedroom window. Photo / Supplied

The rest was a blur as her evening was thrown into chaos by a volley of bullets - believed to be five - that smashed through her bedroom window, the projectiles passing within inches of her head.

"The shots that were fired just missed my head by inches and if it weren't for the [bullets hitting the] bricks, it probably would have got my kid as well."

Whether she fell or intentionally dropped to the floor, Shannon wasn't sure.

She also wasn't aware whether she'd been hit, and grabbed her head to check.

Some bullets lodged themselves in the bricks lining the house and fortunately didn't make it through to the bedroom. Photo / Supplied

The gun was believed to have been fired from Shannon's driveway, entering the bedroom window and side of the house on an angle.

The incident was one of seven shootings reported across Auckland that night - the others in Papatoetoe, Ōtara, Flat Bush, Papakura Mt Albert and Te Atatū.

The shootings have been linked to rising tensions between the Killer Beez and Tribesmen gangs - supposedly ignited by a Killer Beez senior member who allegedly turned up to a rugby league practice to threaten a rival with a gun.

Several further shootings and fires have been attributed to the inter-gang rivalry, resulting in 19 arrests and 25 charges being laid in less than two weeks.

The majority of the houses and people involved in the shootings are believed to have connections to the gangs in some way.

However, police have acknowledged innocent civilians had been caught in the crossfire.

Bullet holes evident in the window of a house on Albert Rd whose occupants were mistakenly targeted recently. Photo / George Heard

The Herald yesterday reported one such case where flatmates eating dinner were shot at - understood to be targeted because gang prospects used to live at their Manukau home.

Shannon said police had told her a similar story, saying she could be a victim of bad information.

"I'm not involved with anything, I'm not doing anything, [police] think it must just be old intel as to why my house was targeted."

But without definitive answers, Shannon could only speculate on whether the incident was a one-off mistake or a deliberate attack.

'Turned our lives upside down'

Shannon doesn't want to step foot back in her house.

When she returned earlier this week, accompanied by police, she was struck by panic attacks.

"I'm traumatised, I'm pretty much jumping and flinching at any kind of noise, I'm too scared to go outside at night-time.

The family was initially moved into emergency housing, a motel.

It is understood the feud between the Killer Beez and Tribesmen was inflamed when a senior Killer Beez member brought a gun to a rugby league training. Photo / Brett Phibbs

However, loud and unruly neighbours only heightened her anxiety.

"My [child] was scared to be there and all the dysfunction was triggering for what I had been through.

Unwilling to stay in that environment, Shannon had moved in with a relative and was sleeping on a mattress, purchased on Facebook, in the lounge.

It's also meant she's had to withdraw her children from school, given they no longer live locally.

"It's turned our lives upside down completely."

'Living in fear'

Those few seconds in late May have forced Shannon to consider drastic measures, chief among them is moving across the country.

While she already had intentions to relocate, her desire had increased tenfold after the incident.

Police have been busy in recent weeks, attending various shootings and fires linked to the gang feud. Photo / Hayden Woodward

"I could be completely overthinking things, but to safeguard me and my kids, that's the lengths I'm going to.

"I'm living in fear at the moment because I don't know what's to come."

The shooting had caused a significant change to Shannon's mental health and personality.

Formerly, a social, confident, independent woman, Shannon had scrubbed her personal information off of social media and was hyper-aware of those in her inner circle.

The biggest challenge was keeping her composure for the kids, who fortunately weren't aware of the magnitude of what had happened 10 days ago.

The Tribesmen are locked in a tit-for-tat battle with the Killer Beez. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Katrina, the family member who had taken Shannon in, said her relative had once been the "rock of the family", but now the tables had turned.

"It's really weird that now I'm in her shoes and she's having to have me to lean on."

A Givealittle page had been created on Shannon's behalf to assist with her move from Auckland.

Asked how long it would take to recover, Shannon questioned whether she would ever truly heal.

"It's changed my life completely, my perspective on everything has changed."

Police crackdown on gang feud

Counties Manukau District Commander Superintendent Jill Rogers said 19 arrests had been made and 25 charges laid for firearms and drugs offending as part of the police investigation into the unlawful gang activity across Auckland, known as Operation Dairyland.

Police attended three firearm incidents and two suspicious fires on Wednesday night that they believe were linked to previous gang violence across the city.

Last week, there were seven shootings in Auckland in one night, while last Sunday an Auckland house and sleepout were sprayed with at least 20 bullets.

Police have been cracking down on firearms offences, often arming themselves. Photo / Hayden Woodward

Those arrested are affiliated with the Killer Beez and Tribesmen gangs, Rogers said.

"Police have no tolerance for gun violence and the reckless behaviour that has been on display across our communities in recent weeks," she said.

"There is no place in our community for gang tensions and the public will continue to see police responding to any unlawful behaviour by gang members."

Rogers said twelve associates of the Tribesmen were taken into custody last night in Pakuranga and spoken to by police, after armed police and the armed offenders squad responded to a report of suspicious activity potentially involving firearms.

No firearms have been located at this stage, Rogers said.

Since Operation Dairyland started in late May, Rogers said 21 searches had been executed across Auckland and police have seized nine firearms and 341 rounds of ammunition.

• Anyone with information about those illegally in possession of firearms is urged to contact police on 105 or anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.