Four houses in Christchurch were shot up over the weekend, including a house on Hammond Place which was targeted twice. Photo / NZME
Four houses in Christchurch were shot up over the weekend, including a house on Hammond Place which was targeted twice. Photo / NZME
Residents across the road from Christchurch’s Orangetheory Stadium were enjoying the sounds of Six60 when shots rang out on their street, for the second night in a row.
Police confirmed on Sunday flying bullets hit four homes in the city on Friday and Saturday nights.
One property was targeted on both nights, bullet holes can be seen riddled in the top corner of a window facing the road.
The Saturday night shooting occurred between 10.30pm and 11pm, and it coincided with a packed-out Six60 concert playing less than 1km away.
Hammond Pl resident, William Willis said he was walking home with a mate from a separate gig on Saturday night, the pair were enjoying listening to the music as they reached Willis’ house.
Bullet holes can be seen riddled in the top corner of a window facing the road. Photo / NZME
He’d overheard the shooting on Friday night, which occurred at the same property in question - right next to Willis’ house.
Residents who were home on Friday night said they saw police dogs and armed offenders marking a perimeter and condoning off the street.
Willis had been playing Playstation at the time of the Friday shooting, he overheard the cracks which he first thought were firecrackers.
“But they didn’t have the after-explosion, which is quintessential with firecrackers. I’ve been around guns enough as I grew up on a farm, when I heard it I was like ‘ah, that’s what it is’.”
Working part-time at a liquor shop, Willis is already well-versed in the feeling of crime escalation in the city. However, this shooting literally hit a little closer to home.
“There’s lots of kids around. If it’s just me, I’m not as concerned but with children and my partner around, I’m slightly more on edge.”
Hammond Place comprises a mixture of residents, according to the locals who live on it. Some are social housing occupants, others are long-time residents who know the region well.
One resident, who’s lived on the street for 30 years said there used to be a gang house on the street which was occupied up until a year ago, the house is different to the one twice shot up.
He echoed the notion it was common to see children playing in the street.
“It’s damn lucky the shooter didn’t come by in the afternoon, the kids would have been playing around at that time.”
The shootings have unnerved the residents, but they’re slow to change their perception of the area.
One family, who also lives near the targeted property said they’re more hesitant to take the bins out, but aren’t jumping to conclusions on the street.
One local said it was common to see children playing in the street. Photo / NZME
“I’ve never felt unsafe here, it hasn’t changed anything at the moment so I’m just trying to ignore it,” the mother said.
Among the shot-up streets over the weekend was Broadbent St in Riccarton, which had a house shot up on Saturday night around the same time.
A young mother who lives down the road from the house said police were at her house the following morning investigating the matter, checking if her CCTV cameras captured anything.
“We’re afraid for our kids with stuff like this happening,” she said.
“We believe this is a safe country, but hearing about this and other incidents, it’s getting scary. It’s different now, the amount of crime here like the stabbing [at Bexley Reserve].
“We still believe we’re safe, but we need to be careful now.”
There are still no arrests in relation to the shootings, which police believed involved the targeting of the “wrong house” in one instance.
Detective Senior Sergeant Damon Wells believes the four incidents at Hammond Pl, Broadbent St, Spreydon, Gayhurst Rd in Dallington are all connected.
Fortunately, nobody has been injured but the incidents.
“We would like to send a clear message to the people responsible for this behaviour: we won’t tolerate this level of violence in our communities,” said Wells.
