Shooting climax to continuous disorder
When Ma¯ngere Bridge resident Meredith Fountain first heard someone had been shot near the boat ramp on Sunday morning, she thought it could be one of ‘‘theirs’’ – a local who had finally had enough and gone out to confront the disorderly masses gathered around their cars.
As a resident of 22 years, Fountain has been that person.
She has stood in the middle of the road in her pyjamas and cursed at the revellers with their car boots filled with subwoofers, and the smashed bottles they leave behind.
‘‘I’ve been told that they’ll pray for me. I’ve been told to f... off.
‘‘I’ve had beer cans thrown at me,’’ Fountain said.
‘‘It truly is diabolical.’’ Fountain said disorder around the Old Ma¯ ngere Bridge area had escalated in the past three years.
The Sunday morning incident, which saw one man shot and another left with facial injuries, was an apt illustration of just how bad things had got, she said.
It also came a day before a public meeting hosted by the Ma¯ngere Bridge Residents and Ratepayers, calling for an end to what they said were constant, allnight parties on the causeway.
A spokeswoman for the group told the loud parties could go until 7am and often ‘‘horrendous’’ amounts of rubbish were left behind.
Police and mayor Phil Goff confirmed they would be at the meeting.
The area near where the shooting occurred leads to Old Ma¯ ngere Bridge. In late 2018, the 104-year-old bridge, which used to link Ma¯ngere Bridge to Onehunga, was shut for good due to structural issues.
It has also featured in hundreds of noise complaints, prompting the deployment of the Counties Manukau police’s district prevention unit in mid-2017.
Fountain said the increased police presence helped but as soon as a patrol unit left, the revellers came back. ‘‘[Police] can’t be there all the time.’’
Fountain said those causing the noise were in their late 20s to mid 30s and were definitely ‘‘not kids’’. They were there every night, she said. ‘‘Even last night, after the shooting, there were half a dozen cars.
‘‘The noise is inescapable. ‘‘Even with double glazing and professional ear plugs in, I can hear them.’’
Fountain, and other locals spoken to by Stuff, said they were hopeful last night’s meeting would lead to action.
Meanwhile, police are studying CCTV footage for clues after the shooting left one man in hospital. Police were called to the incident in which two men were wounded about 5.40am on Sunday. One man, with a gunshot wound, was taken to Auckland Hospital in a serious condition, and was in a stable condition yesterday. The other man suffered moderate facial injuries. A police spokesman said yesterday police had completed a scene examination and were carrying out inquiries, including examining vehicles and canvassing CCTV footage around the area.