Police name second Hokitika shooting victim

Police have confirmed the identity of the second man who was found shot dead in a West Coast house on Tuesday.

He was 23-year-old Andrew Hutchison, from Hokitika.

Mr Hutchison and his 86-year-old grandfather, Frank Joseph Schist, were found dead in Mr Schist's Hokitika home on Tuesday afternoon.

A 41-year-old local man, who has been granted interim name suppression, appeared in Greymouth District Court yesterday charged with one count of murder.

Greymouth Area Commander John Canning said that when the man reappeared in court on Tuesday, it was likely he would be facing a second murder charge.

The man was remanded in custody while a psychiatric report was being prepared.

A homicide inquiry was launched on Tuesday after officers discovered the bodies of the two men in the Fitzherbert St house about 2.50pm on Tuesday.

Mr Canning said police arrested a "distressed" man found at the scene.

Police yesterday found a rifle at the house.

The bodies were taken to Christchurch for post mortem examinations.

Mr Canning said forensic scientists were slowly making progress on a "time-consuming" examination of the house, which began yesterday.

The examination was expected to take a number of days.

Officers from Nelson and Blenheim were assisting local police with their inquiries.

- NZPA