Police tight-lipped on boy's gun death

Police and ESR scientists yesterday examined the property where the boy was shot. Photo / Dean Purcell

An autopsy will be carried out today on a 10-year-old Dargaville boy killed in a firearms incident in the town.

Emergency services were called to the boy's Hokianga Road home about 8.30am yesterday, but were unable to save him.

Police have not named the child, as family members are still to be contacted.

Detective Sergeant Jonathan Tier said the boy was the youngest of three children. Police were not treating the death as suspicious, but would not give further details on how he died.

"We don't need to speak to anyone else about it. It's before the coroner so we can't really say much more, it's just very tragic and unexpected."

Mr Tier would not say what type of firearm was involved.

The family were staying with friends yesterday, as police and ESR scientists examined the property.

Maria Pope, who lives across the road, said she sometimes saw children playing out the front, but the family hadn't been living there very long.