Survivors gather for Aramoana memorial

Rain clouds threatened yesterday as 100 people gathered in Aramoana for a memorial service on the 15th anniversary of the 1990 massacre.

The weather was a far cry from the brilliant sunny day exactly 15 years earlier when 13 of their friends, family and neighbours were slain by lone gunman David Gray.

Memorial service organiser and Aramoana survivor Chiquita Holden described the overall mood of the crowd as a happy one.

"I think it has made people aware they can talk about it."