Mena Sipiliano was told on Thursday evening that her eldest son - 44-year-old Tupuga Sipiliano, of Wattle Downs, South Auckland - had died in a shooting earlier that morning.
Speaking to Samoan-based radio station Talofa FM, she said she did not believe the news as she never thought anything like this could happen to her son at work.
Speaking in her mother tongue, she breaks down in tears as she recalls that moment.
“It wasn’t easy for me to take the pain that came to me that evening. I didn’t believe that my son Tupuga would be involved in this kind of incident.
“But when his wife called me that night - and told me he had died - that’s when I finally believed.”
The scene outside lower Queen St, in downtown Auckland, today. Photo / Cheree Kinnear
Police yesterday named Tupuga Sipiliano and 45-year-old Solomona To’oto’o, of Manurewa, as the two men killed at a construction site high-rise building on lower Queen St, downtown Auckland, on Thursday.
Five others - including a police officer - were injured in the incident. The 24-year-old gunman was also later found dead by police.
Mena Sipiliano told the radio station her son had lived in New Zealand for 23 years and was married with children.
Tupuga Sipiliano was killed in the shooting in Auckland CBD. Photo / Supplied
He sent money to her and the wider family every week and often called her ahead of a long road trip to a job away from Auckland.
No matter where he travelled around the country, he would always call his mother to let her know he had arrived safely, she said through tears.
His last Mother’s Day gift
One of the last times she spoke with her son was around Mother’s Day, when he had phoned her to let her know he had sent something to spoil herself with.
“He told me to go get the money out to buy myself a dress and some food for our meal for Mother’s Day. He said he would call me back after Mother’s Day - and he did. He called me after that day.”
AOS and construction workers on the roof of the Deloitte building in downtown Auckland as the shooting incident is responded to on Thursday last week.
She described how difficult it was for her now and likened the anguish she felt to a stabbing pain, knowing what her son went through.
“O le taimi lenei, e lē faigofie. E mātuitui...ma tigā ona o le mea ua o’o mai iā te a’u.”
Family encouraged to hold funeral soon
Mena Sipiliano said they had hoped to bring her son’s body home to Samoa to be laid to rest next to his late father.
However, the extent of his injuries had resulted in a recommendation from authorities to the family that he be laid to rest sooner rather than later, she said.
A number of family members are hoping to travel to New Zealand by the end of the week.
She wanted to thank members of the public - both in New Zealand and around Samoa - who had reached out to them in the last few days to give their condolences and offer comforting words to the grieving family.
Even the words of strangers had helped her get through the pain, she said.
Police appeal for witnesses, photos or video of incident
As the Sipiliano and To’oto’o families prepare to farewell their sons, a police cordon remains at the construction site in downtown Auckland, as officers continue to piece together exactly what happened that fateful morning.
Members of the public have also left flower tributes and bouquets near the area, in honour of the men killed and those injured.
Police are also appealing to the public for any photos or video footage.
“If you did witness the incident and haven’t spoken to us yet, or if you have any information which you think may be relevant, please get in touch as soon as possible,” police said.
Can you help? Police are asking for any video footage or photos of the incident to be sent via the online portal here: Operation Tuscan or call police on 105
Flowers from members of the public have been laid outside the construction site on Queen St, where Tupuga Sipiliano, 44, and Solomona To'oto'o, 45, were killed. Photo / Cheree Kinnear
