Police are searching for whoever is responsible for the deaths of a man and woman at a Wattle Downs property, after a homicide investigation was launched in South Auckland on Thursday.
Emergency services were called to an address on Gambare Place at about 1.45pm following reports of an unresponsive woman. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
During a subsequent search of the property, officers discovered a man who was also pronounced dead.
Detective Inspector Tofilau Faamanuia Va’aelua of Counties Manukau CIB said the offender, or offenders, had left before police arrived.
“Our teams will be working through the night to find the person or persons, who we believe are responsible for this crime,” Va’aelua said.
“We know the community will be understandably alarmed by what has occurred, and we are doing everything we can to locate this person and hold them to account.”
Armed police were deployed to the area and nearby schools were temporarily placed into lockdown as a precaution. The lockdowns were later lifted, although cordons remained around Gambare Place and adjoining Volante Avenue while police examined the scene.
A local resident told state-funded media she initially thought the loud noises she heard were coming from a nail gun being used during construction work at her home.
“But no, it was shooting. All we heard was gun,” adding that her family quickly gathered everyone inside and remained indoors.
The resident said the victims were relatively new to the neighbourhood and described the deaths as particularly disturbing given the number of children and elderly people living nearby.
Residents were eventually allowed back into the area shortly after 5pm.
Police were seen working behind a white tarpaulin on Volante Avenue during the operation. Police later said officers had moved the victims to a safe location away from the immediate scene in an effort to provide first aid while other staff continued clearing and securing the area.
Va’aelua described the deaths as “an awful set of events” that would understandably unsettle both those directly involved and the wider community.
Police currently believe the incident was isolated but say they are not yet in a position to rule anything out.
A scene examination is continuing, while post-mortem examinations and formal identification procedures will be carried out. Residents can also expect an increased police presence as investigators conduct enquiries.
Anyone with information that could assist the investigation is asked to contact Police on 105, quoting file number 260827/1324 and Operation Bealey.
Image credit: Joshua Coleman
