Gun examined for link with drive-by shootings

Police are examining a gun recovered in an early morning raid to determine whether it is the same one used in two drive-by shootings in Palmerston North.

Detective Sergeant Phil Skoglund said the police were looking at a firearm which had been recovered during a search in the early hours of October 13.

Five arrests were made after armed police stormed two houses in Palmerston North and one each in Dannevirke and Pahiatua.

Police had been looking for a particular type of gun, Mr Skoglund said.

"A firearm of a similar style and calibre has been located [and is being] examined by the police armourer, to see whether we can match that to the shell casing and projectiles that were recovered at the scene examination at Botanical Road and Manson Street," he said.

The four raids were a result of information received during the investigation into the October 2 shootings at two Palmerston North addresses.

A 21-year-old woman was shot in the leg as she slept, and another woman and child narrowly missed being hit.

As a result of the searches, Albert Tuimana, 31, Ronald Dean Hira, 30, Cheryl Dorothy Taylor, 33, Bwana Nehu McKinnon, 31, and Kelly Lee Kamura, 29, were arrested and charged with unlawful possession of firearms.

Tuimana, Hira, McKinnon and Kamura have been remanded in custody and will appear in Palmerston North District Court tomorrow. Taylor was granted bail and will appear on October 24.

Mr Skoglund said it was not known say when police would know whether the gun was linked to the shootings.

"There are a number of examinations that need to be completed in relation to that particular firearm," he said. "It's not just ballistic tests - there's also forensic testing such as DNA and fingerprints, to identify who has had possession of that firearm."

- NZPA