2 Jun 2022

Auckland flatmates shot at while eating dinner

From Checkpoint, 5:08 pm on 2 June 2022

A group of Auckland flatmates are lucky to be alive after a shooter opened fire on their home as they ate dinner.

In the early evening last night a gunman pulled up outside the Manukau flat on Albert Road.

Abinesh Kumar described seconds of terror as five bullets whizzed over his head while he sat on his bedroom floor tucking into a meal.

His dinner last night could ave been his last meal - the window of his room in his flat was littered with several bullet holes.

Had he been standing, he could be dead.

Five bullets were fired through the bedroom window.

Five bullets were fired through the bedroom window. Photo: RNZ / Nick Truebridge

Kumar's flatmates called out to take cover as the bullets breached windows and walls.

"I was sitting inside my room but my phone was charging so I was sitting down there, luckily I didn't stand up because the bullet was going straight. Once I stand up [my flatmate] told me we've had a gun shot here, the neighbours coming out...by the time we came out they were gone.

"The other guy in the other room he started shouting...I was lucky sitting down and eating the food."

That flatmate, the man shouting to take cover, appeared to have been injured by bullet fragments.

"The other guy was shot, he was scratching his stomach... he was sitting in the other room," Kumar said.

Kumar's flatmate has three wounds around his left hip where a gnarly purple and blue bruise was developing.

A third flatmate said the injured flatmate rushed to alert him after realising those loud bangs were in fact gun shots directed at their flat.

"I was sleeping, I don't know anything but this one wake me up, I was asleep and he heard the sound of the bullet and he wake me up."

Kumar said he was not associated with gangs and worked in construction - his flatmates had similar jobs.

Abinesh Kumar stands in front of his flat in Manukau.

Kumar outside his flat. Photo: RNZ / Nick Truebridge

Armed police stood out front guarding the scene and Kumar appeared shaken as he watched officers combing the property.

"Scary man, good at the moment but it could kill someone. Lucky we were all down otherwise, normally that time I walk in my room, lucky I was sitting down."

Police Counties Manukau area commander Jill Rogers said in a statement it was extremely lucky police were not dealing with a homicide inquiry after the incident.

Police called it callous and reckless behaviour.

There were three other incidents last night that police said were connected to gang violence - a shooting in Takanini and two fires; one in Onehunga and one in Pakuranga.

Police said people should expect to see a larger police presence in Counties Manukau.