Friends and family farewell Napier gunman

Jan Molenaar. Photo / Supplied

About 150 people gathered at a Hastings marae this morning to farewell Napier gunman Jan Molenaar.

Molenaar was found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot when police entered his Chaucer Rd home on Saturday, two days after he shot dead Senior Constable Len Snee and wounded three others, including two police officers.

The officers had been executing a cannabis search warrant at Molenaar's home when he returned from a walk.

He reacted by losing his temper and shooting at them with one of several high powered weapons he kept at his home.

A witness told NZPA a crowd had gathered at Ruahapia Marae, near Hastings, where Molenaar's body has been lying, and a service was due to be held later this morning.

There was no initial sign of police at the marae and apart from one abusive woman, little hostility towards news media gathered outside the marae.

As Mr Snee was farewelled by thousands of people at a funeral in Napier on Wednesday, tributes also flowed for Molenaar in the local Hawke's Bay Today newspaper death notices.

"My dear son. May you be at peace with yourself. We all love you," his father wrote.

Molenaar's partner Del said she was the luckiest person to have had him in her life and he had left her with golden years to treasure.

"A great man with a big heart and a smile that would light up the world," she wrote.

His siblings thanked him for their years together.

"Bye for now big brother."

- NZPA