Police treating three gang connected homicides in Hamilton as 'separate incidents', says no public safety concerns

July 17, 2018

Superintendent Bruce Bird says the deaths are a coincidence at this stage and there are no public safety concerns.

Police in Waikato are treating three homicide investigations, all of which are believed to involve gang connections, as separate incidents.

Superintendent Bruce Bird says the deaths are a coincidence at this stage and there are no public safety concerns.

"We can categorically tell you that we are treating each investigation separately, and as more of a coincidence, than escalating violence within the district," Superintendent Bird told 1 NEWS today.

He also stressed that the homicides are more about "gang connections than gang related".

This means those thought to be responsible for the crimes have gang affiliations but the homicides may not have happened as a direct result of this link.

Robert Nelson was fatally shot early Sunday, with two others, including his girlfriend, seriously hurt.

Over 60 staff are working on the cases, and other specialists have been called in from around New Zealand.

On Saturday July 8, 23-year-old Robert Nelson was shot dead at his girlfriend's house. She was injured and another young man badly hurt.

The body of Ngāruawāhia man Mitchell Curtis Rehua Paterson was found in the water at McLaren Falls near Tauranga on Friday.

Late last month Huntly man Wayne Noda was found dead at his home on June 30, and police believe his injuries were inflicted during an assault.

Police say the three homicides in such a short time is unprecedented for the Waikato region.

No charges have been laid over the homicide cases but people of interest are being questioned.

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