Teen remanded on bail after pizza store air rifle incident

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A Hamilton teenager who allegedly used an air rifle to shoot a man in the back and another in the buttocks on different days outside a pizza store has been remanded on bail.

Shawn Michael Hawkins appeared at Hamilton District Court this morning charged with injuring with reckless disregard and two counts of causing injury by carelessly using a Hatsan Mod 90 .177 calibre air rifle.

He is also facing a charge of possession of cannabis.

The 18-year-old entered no plea to the charges from two incidents that happened on December 24 and Christmas Day when he allegedly shot two men outside a Pizza Hut store on Grey St in Hamilton East.

He was remanded on bail and is to reappear before the court on February 17.

Hawkins wrapped his face in a scarf and sunglasses before he was led away from the court by people, understood to be his parents.

A 31-year-old Hamilton man, who had ordered a pizza and was waiting outside the store, described a searing pain in his back when he was shot on Christmas Eve.

The man's girlfriend saw the blood and told him he had been shot and they raced to Waikato Hospital emergency department. He passed out as doctors took x-rays and scans before dressing the wound and discharging him at 11pm.

The other man was standing outside the same pizza store and talking with a friend on Christmas Day when he was shot in the buttocks.

He was not badly hurt and was able to tell police the direction the shot was fired from.

Police arrested Hawkins not long after.

Hamilton police condemned the alleged actions at the time as ``reckless'' and extremely dangerous behaviour.

They said the alleged shooting on Christmas Eve was not the only incident involving a firearm that night.