Wairoa residents are planning to march against gain violence after a Mongrel Mob member fired a shotgun into the crowd at a rugby match in the northern Hawke's Bay town.
Police said there had not been any arrests arising from last Saturday's shooting and nor had the sawn-off shotgun involved been found. However, they had found the white Nissan ute used by the gunman.
The shooting took place at the end of a game which was attended by a large number of Black Power members, who were supporting a team from Raupunga that played Wairoa-based team Tapuwai, which police said was aligned with the Mongrel Mob.
As spectators were leaving the ground the white ute was driven into the Lambton Square sports carpark with about six Mongrel Mob members and associates on the back.
Two of the bigger gang members then jumped off and chased a 15-year-old boy.
The two were restrained by some in the crowd but a third gang member on the back of the ute fired four to five shotgun rounds in the air in the vicinity of the spectators.
"It was a miracle no one was hurt,'' Detective Sergeant John McCarthy told NZPA.
Today he said police were speaking to the large number of witnesses who were in the carpark when the shooting happened.
"It's important that we speak to as many people as possible who were in the carpark at the time.
"There have been various versions of what took place and we need to work our way through a lot of information,'' he said.
A "Reclaiming Wairoa'' march through the town on September 10 is being organised by Hawke's Bay-based Labour MP Stuart Nash, who said it was aimed at giving the community a voice to stand up against gang activity.
Wairoa Mayor Les Probert said the nature of Saturday's shooting was the most serious gang incident in the town to date.
"This is more serious than the previous incidents by its very nature _ it was in public and at a football game and totally without regard for anyone.
"I can assure the Wairoa community that we won't take this lying down.''
Last October a Mongrel Mob member was shot through the window of his vehicle by a Black Power member at the Mobil service station in Wairoa.
Police recently arrested and charged a man over that shooting.
