Suspect arrested in Greymouth shooting
A man has been arrested in relation to the shooting death of a Greymouth mother.
Police are yet to lay charges, but confirmed the person apprehended was the man they had been hunting since Sunday afternoon.
Hayley Williams, 43, was earlier named as the victim of the shooting.
Earlier police said they had found an associate of the alleged offender, who was assisting with inquiries.
Police also said they had found the vehicle the suspect was believed to have used to flee the scene.
Amanda Williams, a close friend of Hayley Williams, said she was ‘‘a cool lady’’.
‘‘She would give the shirt off her back, she would feed you if you were hungry, she would take you in if you needed somewhere to go.’’
Williams had three sons, she said.
‘‘She did the best for her kids, good mum,’’ Amanda Williams said.
‘‘She had been through a bit of s... but she was awesome.’’
Williams’ family declined to comment when contacted.
Loud bang
A neighbour has described hearing a ‘‘hell of a loud bang’’ moments before a car sped away from the house where the shooting occurred about 4pm on Sunday.
The car took off ‘‘straight after’’, he said.
Another neighbour, who did not want to be named, said the young mother who lived at the address kept to herself and was not well known in the neighbourhood.
A third resident said police had been coming and going from the scene all night.
An armed police officer stood guard at the address on Monday morning.
A canopy had been set up on the lawn of a neighbouring property and police cars were parked on the street.