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Armed police may attend the tangi of a two-year-old girl who died in a drive-by shooting in Wanganui at the weekend.
The toddler, known only as Jhia, was shot shortly before 10pm on Saturday at a house in Puriri Street, in the suburb of Gonville.
Police said about a dozen people were at the home when several vehicles drove past and fired shots into the front of the house.
Jhia was asleep on a sofa in a front room, and was struck by one of the bullets. She died at the scene.
The house was believed to have been rented by a Black Power member and the incident appeared to be linked to rivalries between Black Power and the Mongrel Mob.
At a press conference today Wanganui police area commander Inspector Duncan MacLeod said Jhia's tangi will be held on Thursday, out of Wanganui.
He said police were carrying out a risk assessment to decide what services they would need to provide.
He also revealed that items recovered from the scene included "spent cartridges from a high-powered rifle".
He would not say how many cartridges were found, only that there was more than one.
Mr MacLeod urged nearby residents who found anything of that nature to contact police.
Fears of retribution were creating talk in the public and amid the looming threat Mr MacLeod urged gangs and the community not to take matters into their own hands.
"That is the last thing New Zealand or this community requires," he said.
Police were working with gang leaders and people in leadership roles to step up and "stamp their mark" so retribution could be avoided, he said.
"Retribution is not the answer. We don't want a further tragedy in our community. We are working with gang leaders to try to bring a calm to the situation."
Mr MacLeod said the girl's family were going through a grieving process.
"The family are still very devastated. They're in mourning. They're in shock."
But while he could imagine how the family was feeling his message to them and those around them was not to retaliate.
He said the risk of retribution was something police had to consider and contingency plans were in place should this happen, but he would not reveal any details.
So far all parties were cooperating with police and he hoped this would continue.
There were 30 police officers working on the homicide investigation, with extra staff drafted in from Masterton, Kapiti Mana, Palmerston North and New Plymouth.
Mr MacLeod said extra patrols should be an assurance to the public.
Most Wanganui people would not be affected by what had happened, he said.
"They're just going on with their day to day business as usual."
On the streets of Wanganui, despite shock and sadness at recent events, people appeared to be doing just that.
Police hoped a forensic scene examination would be finished later today.
Other police were interviewing neighbours, witnesses to the sooting, and witnesses to other incidents which might be connected to the shooting.
The body of the child was taken to Wellington today for a post mortem examination, and police hoped to return her to the family tonight, Mr MacLeod said.
The girl's family had asked police not to release her name.
- NZPA
