Auckland Point England reserve shooting: Resident describes hearing ‘crack’ and ‘boom’

A resident has described hearing six cracks and then a boom before two people were shot at an East Auckland reserve and one later died in hospital.

Police have launched a homicide inquiry after a disorder incident on Saturday afternoon in Taurima Reserve in Point England turned deadly.

An elderly man, who lives close to Taurima Reserve in Point England told the Herald on Saturday afternoon he heard what sounded like a shootout.

“Two guns, with one gun going, ‘crack crack crack’.

“About six cracks, and I heard a ‘boom’ it was a gunshot,” he said.

”There was a large group there, about three or four cars full. They sped off out of Taurima Ave right after.”

The resident said police arrived on the scene over an hour later.

Police officers at the scene of a disorder event where a person was shot dead at Taurima Reserve in Point England, Auckland on Saturday. Photo / Hayden Woodward

He said the incident involved a large group of people.

Police were called to Taurima Reserve in Point England at 2.40pm following several reports of disorder and sounds of gunshots.

A critically injured man took himself to Auckland Hospital with gunshot wounds but later died.

Auckland police launched a homicide investigation after the incident.

Armed police officers spent the night guarding Middlemore Hospital after an injured man arrived at the Emergency Department with a gunshot wound.

Police guarding Auckland's Middlemore Hospital after a man presented with a gunshot wound. Photo / Hayden Woodward

Police are investigating whether the person at Middlemore Hospital with gunshot wounds is linked to the Point England shooting.

Police yesterday said those involved in the deadly shooting were known to each other.

While investigations were under way the Point England community would notice a greater police presence, a spokesperson said.

A spokesperson said they were following strong lines of inquiry and continued to ask the public for any information.

“We would like to reassure people that this was an isolated incident, with no ongoing risk believed to be posed to the wider public.”

Earlier, Detective Senior Sergeant Steve Salton said inquiries were ongoing to determine the circumstances and locate those responsible.

This is the third shooting incident reported in Auckland over the last two weeks.

A manhunt is underway for “dangerous” 24-year-old man Darius Talagi and a homicide investigation has been launched after a man died in hospital from his wounds from a shooting on Queen St on Thursday night.

Two weeks ago, ten people were injured and three died, including the gunman 24-year-old Matu Tangi Matua Reid, in a mass shooting at a construction site in downtown Auckland.

Akula Sharma is an Auckland-based reporter who joined the Herald in 2022. She has previously worked at the Gisborne Herald.