A woman shot in a central Auckland high-rise this morning is out of surgery and in a stable condition.
Officers are waiting at Auckland City Hospital to interview the 29-year-old victim and piece together the circumstances that led to her being shot in the leg inside a room at the Auckland Harbour Oaks hotel.
Police are hunting for the man who shot her inside the room, which is near the top of the 38-level building on Gore St, Britomart, about 10am.
A weapon is yet to be located but police say there are no concerns about public safety.
The victim was not booked in to stay at the building but was believed to be a guest of one of the two other people in the room.
All three are believed to have been known to police.
Police would not say if the apartment was a hotel room or a permanent residence.
Sergeant Graeme Lindner said six officers were working on the case - four from the Criminal Investigation Bureau and two from the intelligence unit.
"We are still waiting to speak to the victim. It's strange, it's definitely weird but hopefully things will start falling into place."
Officers were waiting at the hospital to interview the victim, he said.
"Police are up there to have a chat with her at the first available opportunity and they are still down at the apartment."
Earlier today, Senior Sergeant Matt Knowsley said police were alerted to the incident by the ambulance service about 10.15am, where they found the woman who appeared to have been shot in the leg.
He said she was given first aid by hotel staff before emergency services arrived and took her to hospital.
Mr Knowsley said police were following "a few leads".
They had established the identity of some "persons of interest" by reviewing CCTV footage which included movement in corridors and lifts.
The room had been searched and there was no evidence of drugs being manufactured.No neighbours had heard gunshots, he said.
Senior Sergeant Danny Meade said the woman's leg injuries were serious but did not appear to be life-threatening and an Auckland City Hospital spokeswoman said she was in a stable condition.
Her account of what happened would provide more answers.
"Until we've spoken properly to this lady we won't know exactly who we're looking for or where to look," Mr Meade said.
At the scene this morning, four ambulances and four police cars were outside the building, which is flanked by a liquor store and beauty parlour.
An officer carrying a Taser at the entrance to the hotel checked visitors' identification as they entered the building and an armed officer holding a bullet-proof vest was seen leaving the hotel.
Several hotel occupants watched from the balconies of the 392-room, high-rise hotel as media and police gathered at the entrance, while others going in and out knew little or nothing about what was going on.
One couple staying in the building said they didn't hear anything out of the ordinary - but they were concerned about staying there with the shooter still on the loose.
Building manager Sachin Ghadiyar said the high-rise's staff members were co-operating with police, who were still conducting part of their investigation inside.
Police told him the issue was isolated and that other residents did not need to be worried, he said.
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