Police have revealed two brothers were shot outside a Lower Hutt property early on Saturday after an altercation broke out at a birthday party.
Rawiri Zan Wharerau, 39, was shot dead at the 50th birthday celebration, while his brother remains in hospital in a critical but stable condition.
Detective Inspector Haley Ryan said Rawiri was a patched member of the Mangu Kaha gang. However, Ryan did not believe it was a gang-related incident, but rather the result of an argument at the party.
That argument then spilled out onto the street, where both men were shot. Wharerau lived at the George St, Stokes Valley, property.
Ryan said when police arrived at the scene on Saturday he was lying in front of the house, surrounded by people trying to resuscitate him.
Ryan said investigators were in the early stages of their inquiries and asked for those at the party to come forward and speak with police.
It is believed the shooter was an attendee at the party and Ryan did not rule out that they were a family member.
"Rawiri's whānau will spend the coming Christmas grieving the loss of one son as they hope for the recovery of their other son.
"Individuals at the address on Saturday night will know what happened and can help provide answers that would assist in the investigation.
"We ask that those persons to do the right thing and think of both victims, their friends, whānau and loved ones and speak with Police sooner rather than later."
Investigators are continuing to ask people with privately-owned CCTV or dashcam footage within Stokes Valley and the Eastern Hutt Rd area between 1am and 3am on Saturday to get in touch. They can contact police via 105.
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