Car connected to gang shooting found

Police in Wairoa have recovered a vehicle they believe was involved in the town's second gang shooting within a week. File photo / Hawkes Bay Today

Wairoa police have recovered a vehicle they believe was involved in the town's second gang shooting within a week.

A 48-year-old Mongrel Mob member was shot twice with a shotgun, once in the back and once in the side, as he filled up his tank at a service station on the main road on Friday night.

The attack appeared to be a retaliation for another shooting the night of October 25, when a 17-year-old Black Power member was shot in the chest outside the Mongrel Mob headquarters.

Senior Sergeant Tony Bates said today police were yet to make an arrest in connection with the shootings, but found the abandoned black Honda civic on Glenbrook Road in Waikari, half way between Wairoa and Napier.

Police had searched the car, which they believe was involved in the latest shooting, and wanted to speak to anyone who had seen it being driven to Glenbrook Road.

Police said yesterday said they had searched a number of houses in their investigation into the two shootings.

They had also spoken to the latest gunshot victim, who came out of surgery yesterday and was recovering well.

Wairoa mayor Les Probert, the local council and local MP Chris Tremain will meet police tomorrow as fear of more reprisal attacks grows.

They will discuss ways of dealing with the town's gang problems which could include a ban on gang patches.

Mr Tremain said gang shootings gave Wairoa a bad name and something needed to be done about it.

"It really guts me that it is the gangs that forge the reputation of Wairoa, when that's not what Wairoa is about."

He said the community needed to make a decision about whether it continued to "tacitly condone" the gangs.

If the community wanted to ban gang patches Mr Tremain said he would happily take the policy to National's caucus.

- NZPA