Police say it is lucky a homicide investigation is not underway after a teenage girl received gunshot wounds when the vehicle she was in was fired at during a road rage incident near St Lukes.
Police have labelled the incident an "appalling display of violence" and have asked the public's help in searching for the vehicle involved.
Detective Senior Sergeant Martin Friend told media on Wednesday afternoon police were seeking a 2009 grey Mazda Axela with registration NGL15.
"I ask anyone who sees this vehicle to contact police immediately on 111 or if they know the whereabouts of the occupants of this vehicle.
"I advise the public to be cautious if this vehicle is seen and to contact police immediately."
Detective Senior Sergeant Martin Friend speaks to media about the investigation. Photo: RNZ / Jordan Dunn
The incident started about 9.50pm on Tuesday when two vehicles, a hatchback and minivan, were travelling citybound on the Southern Motorway.
The driver of the hatchback took exception to the minivan and began to drive in an aggressive manner, Detective Senior Sergeant Martin Friend said.
The vehicles continued onto the North-Western Motorway, and exited at St Lukes Road.
About 10pm a firearm was discharged toward the rear of the minivan, near the intersection with Asquith Avenue, hitting the 15-year-old sitting in the back.
The minivan stopped at a petrol station on Sandringham Road where police were notified.
She sustained serious injuries as a result and was taken to Auckland City Hospital but was not expected to need surgery.
The minivan stopped at a petrol station in Sandringham Road and police were called. Photo: RNZ / Jordan Dunn
Friend said police were considering releasing CCTV of the vehicles.
The road rage incident involved "hard braking" - when one vehicle gets in front of the other and brakes hard, causing the other to make evasive action, Friend said.
The hatchback - "the vehicle of interest" - was doing the hard braking, he said.
"What we saw last night was an appalling display of violence in relation to a road rage incident on the Southern Motorway. We are incredibly fortunate that today we are not dealing with a homicide investigation.
"We are looking for witnesses who may have seen the actions of the vehicles and the subsequent shots that were fired on St Lukes Road."
It was not known at this stage which direction the offending vehicle travelled in following the shooting, Friend said.
Whether the minivan was doing anything dangerous would make up part of the investigation, he said.
Friend said police did not know the know calibre of the weapon used but it had gone through the vehicle and through the victim.
He would not comment of the location of the injuries but said it was serious.
"Her family are all understandably very shaken about what has happened and we are doing our upmost to support them as the investigation progresses."
There were five family members inside the car that was shot at. One other received moderate injuries but they were not from a firearm.
There were potentially three shots fired, Friend said.
"I would like to reassure the community we are doing our utmost to make the persons responsible for this accountable for what's happened last night. We take these incidents extremely seriously and we will do our utmost to protect our communities in regards to this. Our priority today is to support the victim in this matter and to locate this vehicle of interest.
"Police take gun violence extremely seriously and we have teams that go out every day to target criminals in relation to firearms incidents. We are doing our utmost to support the community in this."
Friend said it seemed like a random attack and not gang-related but police were doing their utmost to "suppress any further incidents".
Some witnesses had come forward already, Friend said, but police were looking for more.
Motorists travelling along the route who witnessed the initial incident are asked to contact police through the 105 phone service quoting the file number 230516/7840 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
