Beach Haven, Auckland residents wake to loud gunshots and screeching tyres

A tradie survived an early morning shooting “by the grace of God” after his ute and a nearby home was hit by gunfire on the North Shore shortly before dawn.

Residents of the North Shore suburb of Beach Haven reported hearing multiple loud gunshots and screeching tyres during the early morning incident.

Detective Inspector Simon Harrison, of Waitematā, said about 6.30am police received several reports of gunshots heard around the Tui Park area.

“Police attended and found several bullet casings outside an address on nearby Rambler Cres,” he said.

“A home and a vehicle had sustained some damage but thankfully, no one was injured during the incident.

“There will be a police presence in the area throughout the day as we continue to make inquiries.

One resident said 11 loud gunshots in quick succession woke her up about 6.30am.

“It sounded like they were right behind my house.”

A nearby neighbour said around 10 seconds after he heard the gunshots, he saw two teenagers running across Tui Park and down the nearby track.

“They did seem to be moving pretty fast and it was quite awkward because the ground is wet.”

He estimated the pair were in their early to mid-teens.

“They seemed like they wanted to get out of there pretty quickly,” he said.

“They didn’t look like they were carrying anything that could impede them, but there was something small in their hands.”

A home on Rambler Cres, Beach Haven , with bullet holes in two windows.

A Rambler Cres resident said the sound of loud bangs also woke him up.

“I heard at least five or six in quick succession, but not consistent enough for it to be fireworks,” he said.

“I then heard a car rev and drive off quickly.”

A local told the Herald they heard what sounded like a large number of shots from a small-calibre weapon.

“It wasn’t automatic fire, but definitely rapid single shot ‘trigger pulling’ spacing,” they said.

Another resident said they called police after discovering shells near the local scout den.

“By the grace of God, a tradie, sitting in the ute at the time, was unharmed,” he said.

“Several rounds went through his windows.”

Hours after the early morning attack forensic teams could be seen combing the grass in front of the Beach Haven Scout Hall across the road from the parked ute.

Police comb grounds outside a scout den in Beach Haven.

Police photographers and forensic officers were closely examining the white ute which had bullet holes in the windscreen and passenger doors.

At least two bullet holes could be seen in the front windows of the house.

Bullet holes have pierced the front windows of a Rambler Cres home.

Earlier shootings

The incident was the latest in a series of drive-by shootings during the past few months.

They include a drive-by shooting at a Māngere property on Saturday night, owned by the mother of alleged Māngere Rebels MC gang boss Ray Elise.

A family home in Roscommon Rd on the border of Weymouth, and another in a Glen Innes cul-de-sac were two more victims of drive-by shootings.

In June, two homes were targeted in one night — in Onehunga and Māngere East.

Also in June, a house in Māngere was shot up overnight, leaving doors and windows riddled with bullet holes.

Police were called to Plumley Cres in the suburb on June 24 after receiving 111 calls.

A man was shot dead in his car in Mt Wellington last week.

The victim, Texas Doctor, was a Rebels MC member whose father joined the gang to protect his family amid a bitter and violent neighbourhood feud.