Shooting in ambulance bay

by Reon Suddaby | 23rd November 2009

A rifle lay next to a pool of blood at Tauranga Hospital following the death of a 76-year-old man from a gunshot wound.

The shocking incident took place at the ambulance bay near the main entrance of the hospital as traffic passed by on busy Cameron Rd.

Questions remained unanswered today about who the Rotorua man was and why he went to the hospital on Saturday.

The man was found in the grounds of the hospital with a gunshot wound to his chest, just after 11.30am.

Doctors and nurses took the man inside the hospital and attempted to resuscitate him, however he died a short time later.

Police were not seeking anyone else in relation to the shooting and the man's death was referred to the coroner.

Senior Sergeant Glenn Saunders of Tauranga police yesterday said he could not reveal the name of the dead man.

He said he was unable to make any further comment - including on whether a note was found - because the coroner had issued a blanket suppression order.

The man, who was not a patient and was believed to have driven himself to the hospital, was found outside the front of the building's emergency department, near the main entrance. The scene was quickly cordoned off by police and security guards.

Mr Saunders said it was unclear whether anyone had spoken to the man immediately before his death.

Bay of Plenty District Health Board communications manager Carol Wollaston said staff were "understandably upset" by what had happened but disruption to the emergency department had been kept to a minimum.

Ms Wollaston said the man was not known to hospital staff. The emergency department was not evacuated during the drama.

A man living near the hospital, who did not want to be named, said he heard a loud bang.

"We just heard the bang. We just thought it was a car backfiring. We didn't see people running or anything, there wasn't any activity or anything."

Another neighbour said local residents were used to drama at the hospital.

"We just wondered what was going on - my husband came in and said there were police over there and it looked like someone with cameras.

"I think the majority of people have lived here so long, they're used to it."

Hine Folau, who lives across the road from the hospital, was unconcerned by the shooting.

"It happens anywhere, this kind of thing - we've just come from Auckland and that's even worse."

Bay of Plenty District Health Board chairwoman Mary Hackett could not confirm whether hospital staff would receive counselling but said in normal circumstances the board would do "everything possible" to help.

"It's a very, very distressing thing to happen and a very sad incident," said Hackett.

"I understand he drove on to the site and got out and ... we can't stop people doing that."

with Ellen Irvine