Photo galleryKEY POINTS:
On Saturday afternoon in Wanganui, a row broke out between rival gangs at a local rugby league match. Six hours later, 2-year-old Jhia was dead - murdered in a drive-by shooting.
Last night, armed police launched round-the-clock patrols of the city amid fears of a vicious gang war erupting in revenge for the death.
The little girl is the victim of escalating tensions and increasingly violent incidents over the past 18 months between the Mongrel Mob and Black Power gangs.
Police said they were investigating reports of a "ruckus" during the league match between the Castle Cliff Seagulls and Linton Cobras, where it is understood the girl's father, known as Josh, had been earlier in the day.
Officers will today piece together the hours leading to the tragedy in Puriri St and links to the league match dispute.
They will do so against the backdrop of a community expecting out-of-town gang members to descend on Wanganui to help exact revenge.
The city's MP, Chester Borrows, warned last night that "there will be retribution". Others echoed that fear. "It's not right that this can happen to a little girl," said one woman who did not want to be named. "This is just the start. It's going to go off."
Armed police have been drafted in from surrounding districts for the next week at least. The "24/7" patrols could be extended. Extra staff have also been drafted in to boost the homicide inquiry to 30.
The Wanganui area commander, Inspector Duncan MacLeod, said his team were "assuming" gang members from out of town would descend on the city.
"We are working towards preventing anything that may happen."
Officers were also talking to whanau, kaumatua and gang contacts to urge them to maintain peace.
Mr MacLeod said police were working on the basis that it was "not gang warfare" but involved small groups within rival gangs.
It is understood those two groups clashed first at the football on Saturday and then in Puriri St an hour before the shooting that night.
Police revealed they were called to the Gonville suburban street after a car was rammed and bottles thrown - but no one would answer officers' questions and they left without making an arrest.
About 12 people were at the Puriri St home when the shooting tragedy unfolded about 10pm.
Jhia's parents were both there and the young girl was in a front room on a sofa, police believe. A car pulled up and fired several shots at the house. One bullet hit the girl.
A witness, who did not want to be named, said he was watching television when he heard the first shot and rushed to his lounge window.
He saw a red car skidding around a bend with a person leaning out the passenger side with a rifle pointing out the back in the direction it had come from, still shooting.
"All I saw was just the red car, [a man] half way out the window and boom! A shot outside our place."
The witness said he heard a third shot that snapped a power line.
As shots rang out, neighbours ducked for cover. "We all slept on the floor last night," said one man. "We just didn't want shots flying through the window."
After the shootings, residents flocked into the street. One witness said he found a .308-calibre round still live outside his home. He then rushed to the corner towards the scene where he saw "heaps" of patched Black Power members swearing and kicking a fence, and a woman screaming.
The man said he saw a man saying to a Black Power member, "You knew this was going to happen. I told you this was going to happen".
The neighbour continued: "All you could see was all their white circles [gang patches]. It stood out, it was dark.
"One of the fullas came out and said to the fulla next door, 'Man, those fullas just shot my mate's kid."
Another witness, who lives opposite where the toddler was killed, said he saw a woman running down the street carrying the youngster and screaming.
"I think it was the mother, running with the baby. It was like a war."
Police were unable to say how many shots were fired, but neighbours claimed between three and six.
An autopsy on the child is to be carried out today.
Mr MacLeod would not comment on whether police had the names of any suspects, or any motive.
"Whether it's territory, turf war or drugs, we cannot say. The parents are obviously devastated and my heart goes out to them."
