KEY POINTS:
Police are hunting a "wanna-be" street gang as the search for the killer of Augustine Borrell enters its third day today.
Seventeen-year-old Augustine was fatally stabbed outside a party in Herne Bay on Saturday night.
He is the 11th victim of the youth and street gang violence that has plagued Auckland for two years.
Detective Senior Sergeant Steve Breach said the group of Polynesian youths who gatecrashed the party had given themselves an "ABC"-type name.
"When we locate them - and we will locate them - it will be just some junior wanna-be gang, it won't be anyone like the Black Power or the Mongrel Mob," Mr Breach said.
The murder investigation was being assisted by specialist youth aid officers from the western area of the city, where street gangs are active. Hotspots are in Mt Roskill, Avondale and Wesley.
Police say the western area of Auckland City has 400 gang members.
Auckland City Mayor Dick Hubbard described youth street gangs as a "considerable social problem".
"This is another death in Auckland City, and if we don't nail the problem we have to accept there will be more."
Detectives say Augustine was an innocent bystander when he was stabbed amid disorder after the party was closed down because of the gatecrashers.
The end-of-exams party at the $2.6 million home was thrown by the daughter of lawyer Jeffrey Morrison, a partner at Russell McVeagh.
He and wife Noeline were away at the Rugby World Cup in France, and adult supervision was provided by a 20-year-old, believed to be another daughter.
The party was attended by 50 to 70 teenagers from schools including Diocesan, St Kentigern and Auckland Grammar.
One partygoer, who did not want to be named, told the Herald it was a happy scene, with people playing on the tennis court and dancing inside.
But the atmosphere soured when the gatecrashers arrived about 10.45.
A guest was punched and an iPod and cellphone were stolen.
The hosts closed the party, and Augustine and his best friend from Auckland Grammar left with most others, spilling out of the Morrisons' driveway and on to Hamilton Rd.
Mr Breach said neighbours made the first 111 calls reporting disorder at 11.42pm. Within 10 minutes, it had escalated to bottles being thrown, and at 11.59 police were notified of an assault.
Mr Breach said officers arrived within nine minutes of that final call and found Augustine dying.
A witness, who also did not want to be named, described two fights involving the gatecrashers during the disorder on Hamilton Rd.
The second, a two-on-one, looked like "someone defending his mates". He had since been told this was the fatal confrontation in which Augustine was killed.
A Mercedes-Benz car was seen leaving after the fights, but police said last night that they had contacted its occupants and were treating them as victims rather than suspects.
Auckland's string of 11 street-gang killings began in October 2005.
Of those, Augustine's death is the second related to the thriving gang scene in the western part of the city, after the murder of 14-year-old Manaola Kaumeafiva at the gates of Avondale College last October.
Police say Auckland has about 2000 street-gang members - 1000 in South Auckland, 700 in Auckland City and 300 in North Shore and Waitakere. Their ages range from 9 to 30.
The 700 in Auckland City are concentrated mainly along what police call a "crime corridor" running from Otahuhu to New Lynn.
