Police have launched a homicide investigation after a man died at a Kāinga Ora housing estate in the Auckland suburb of Mount Albert this afternoon.
Detective Senior Sergeant Lisa Anderson said police received reports of a disorder on He Ana Way at about 1.15pm.
”Upon arrival, two people were located with injuries ranging from serious to critical,” she said.
“Sadly, despite efforts from emergency services, a male died at the scene.”
The second person was taken to hospital in a serious condition, however, their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, Anderson said.
Anderson said police are now investigating to understand what occurred at the address.
“Police will have a visible presence in Mount Albert this afternoon, and likely tomorrow, as our investigation progresses,” she said.
“While at this stage, no arrests have been made, we do not believe there is a wider risk to the public in relation to this incident.”
Anderson said it is understood those involved were known to each other and police will be ensuring there is support in place for those closest to the victim, and other people who were at the address at the time.
“We will be speaking to those in the area who witnessed what has occurred and we encourage anyone else with information that may assist to please contact police as soon as possible.”
At about 3.20pm a woman was seen being taken away from the scene in a police vehicle.
St John Ambulance took one person to Auckland City Hospital in a serious condition. Fire and Emergency New Zealand said it was on the scene to help St John.
In 2020, newsroom.co.nz reported Kāinga Ora had spent $300,000 on security guards to ease concerns about one resident at the housing complex on He Ana Way.
Homes neighbouring the Kāinga Ora development are valued at $2 million, according to property records.
Today, neighbours voiced their disbelief at the incident and said they had been left in the dark about what had happened.
“I’ve lived on this street for 30 years and never seen anything like this,” one resident said.
Police officers could be seen speaking to a woman at the scene.
Another officer would not let a resident back into her home, saying “It’s a crime scene”.
Several neighbours stood on their balconies, in the rain, at the Kāinga Ora complex watching police cordon off entrances to their properties.
Occasional shouts could be heard from the building.
A person living in the nearby area, who asked not to be named because of fears for their safety, said Kāinga Ora refused to answer their complaints about the ongoing poor behaviour of some tenants living in the complex.
”We had bodyguards here for months,” he said. “There was a lot of smashing but this has been escalating and escalating.”
People nearby told the Herald they heard a smashing sound and yelling before emergency services arrived.
An hour from when the incident is understood to have occurred, police and investigators are still arriving at the address.
A man who was allegedly involved in the incident has been causing issues in the area for at least a year, witnesses said.
“If they [Kāinga Ora] actually dealt with stuff, it would be a deterrent to others,” one resident said.
The Herald has approached Kāinga Ora for comment.
Information can be provided via the police’s 105 phone service or online, using Update My Report.
Please reference file number 240226/2541. Alternatively, information can be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
Jaime Lyth is a multimedia journalist for the New Zealand Herald, focusing on crime and breaking news.
Jim Wintle enjoyed seeing the community benefit from the projects he was involved with.