Police piece together death clues

Police say it will be several days before they know the events that led up to the deaths of two people in Rotorua on Thursday.

Police armed offenders squad members found a woman, 31, and a man, 38, shot dead in a Sunset Rd property in suburban Fordlands. A rifle was found nearby.

Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Loper said police were not looking for anyone else at present.

However, the inquiry was still at a very early stage and it was likely to be days before police had established a clear picture of the events that led to the deaths.

Police received a report that two people had been shot about 4.40pm and cordoned off the area.

Officers cleared the house and found the pair, who knew each other, lying outside with a rifle near them, Mr Loper said.

Autopsy results were not expected until next week.

The pair had not been named because police were still contacting family members, he said.

Officers were speaking to witnesses, making a forensic examination of the crime scene and investigating the neighbourhood around the house, he said.

Neighbours said they heard a man yelling, "I didn't mean to hurt anyone", shortly before the bodies were found.

One resident said he had seen a little boy standing near the man.

- NZPA