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A man says he slept on the floor with his children after a house near the one he lived was shot at in the most recent drive-by shootings when tensions between gangs spilled over onto the streets of a southern Auckland community .
Gary Cooper said they were home Saturday night when they heard two loud knocks, shortly after 10 p.m.
“My son thought they were Guy Fawkes fireworks, but I know that sound. It was definitely shots, “he said.
David White / Stuff
Gary Cooper has lived in Ōtara for seven months, after moving from Christchurch.
Police said they received reports of a gun unloaded at a property on Bairds Rd in Ōtara. No one was injured and those responsible subsequently left the scene in a vehicle.
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Cooper said he immediately called the police and took cover on the ground with his children.
Ricky Wilson / Stuff
Police are still guarding the Bairds Rd property after the shooting from a vehicle Saturday night.
“I was only thinking about the safety of my children. I even made a bed on the floor that night, slept on the floor with the kids. “
Other neighbors said they also thought it was fireworks.
A woman who was at home with her partner and son said they heard two knocks and police swarming the area shortly after.
“I am very worried, I have a little boy and he is too close to home,” she said.
Ricky Wilson / Stuff
22112020 Auckland news photos. Ricky Wilson / Stuff. A house was shot in the third such incident in Auckland on Saturday. Bairds Rd, Otara.
Almost every Things He spoke to not wanting to be identified for fear of his own safety.
“It is never like that, our street is safe, our children play in the streets. This is the first time something like this has happened, and we are all concerned. “
Six shootings in 29 hours
Police Inspector Wendy Spiller said the Bairds Rd incident was the sixth shooting in 29 hours in Ōtara since Friday afternoon.
On Friday at 5 pm, the police attended four shootings, all at different locations around Ōtara. At the corner of Capstick and Ivons Rd, several vehicles had been wrecked as tensions between the gangs rose.
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A damaged car on the corner of Capstick and Ivon Rds, after a house was apparently shot at.
The next day, police attended two more shootings on Bairds Rd and Preston Rd, at 2.24pm.
“We can confirm that it is definitely gang related. These weren’t random, they were pretty specific, ”Spiller said.
Ōtara hasn’t had any increase in gun or gang crime in months, he said.
“This shoot is not in the character of Ōtara. We have had positive results in the area in the last six to seven months, so these shootings are very concerning. “
He said that the police have increased their presence in the community and that investigators are working around the clock.
“We want to return that tranquility to the community, we want them to feel safe.”
Spiller assured South Auckland residents that there would be no armed police on patrol, “that stopped at 7:30 am this morning.”
The fact that there have been no shootings since Saturday night is a good sign and he hopes it will continue.
“Gangs live in communities and some are making good decisions, others are not. But we want to encourage people to step up and provide us with information. We want to work with the community, families and their leaders to remove firearms from the streets. “
Child safety
Schools in Otara say they have received calls from families concerned about safety, and some have chosen to keep their children at home.
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An armed officer at the corner of Otara and Bairds Rds in South Auckland on Friday night.
The shootings occurred just minutes from Ferguson Intermediate and Rongomai School.
Ferguson Middle School, a two-minute drive from the Bairds Rd home, has had an average attendance of 87 percent since closing, but principal Ronnie Govendar said the shootings are keeping more students at home.
“We understand how worrying this is for our community,” Govendar said.
Gang tensions have never reached their school gates, Govendar said. There was an unspoken respect in the community, especially with gangs, that schools would remain a safe place for all children.
“This area around the school is very quiet, good neighbors. Nobody interferes with us. The only concern for us is that families stop sending their children to school. “
Rongomai School Principal Paeriki Johnson said schools are the safest place for children right now and parents should be encouraged to continue sending them.
“The message for our tamariki is that we will continue with our school program. We do not want to entertain any talk or create fear in our tamariki and our families. It’s another school day. “
They had school buses on foot and were contactable if parents had any safety concerns.
“We know there is a lot going on in our community, but for the sake of our tamariki, we just have to stay focused and do what we can do within our own means of control.”
