Gun blast hits berry buyers
Two middle-aged women hurt after firearm goes off in attempted robbery at Whakatane store
Two people were injured after a firearm was used during an attempted armed robbery at a berry farm in Whakatane yesterday. A police spokeswoman said two people had been “hit by pellets after a weapon was fired at the floor” at Julian’s Berry Farm and Cafe on Hunua Rd.
Police began receiving calls about the incident shortly before 1.30pm and members of the Armed Offenders Squad swooped on the area.
A St John Ambulance spokesman said two people were taken to Whakatane Hospital at 1.44pm, one had moderate injuries and the other minor injuries.
German tourists told the Whakatane Beacon a man had entered the store with a gun and demanded money before he fired the weapon.
The tourists left the scene and did not see if anyone was injured. The alleged offender had his face covered and was wearing a red jacket, they said.
A person at the scene told the Bay of Plenty Times that they understood the pellets ricocheted from the floor and hit the two victims, understood to be two middle-aged women.
Julian’s Berry Farm owner Monica Julian said she was unable to say exactly what happened but said staff members were left shaken by the incident.
Julian said she had been out run-
Everyone is shaken but everyone is really strong. We just want the stupid person caught.
ning when the incident happened and came back to the farm to find police at the scene.
“Everyone is shaken but everyone is really strong. We just want the stupid person caught,” she said.
She said there were about 15 staff members working at the time.
When a Bay of Plenty Times reporter arrived at the berry farm an armed police officer was standing inside the closed front gate turning people away. A number of staff and customers inside the cordon were beginning to leave in their vehicles, but declined to comment on the incident.
One woman on the roadside she had received a disturbing text from her daughter who worked at the berry farm and rushed to the scene and was waiting for her to come out. She had been waiting for her since 2pm.
Two Whakatane men said they had come to collect the victims’ vehicle.
“One of them is my cousin and the other is a friend of the family. I think they were here to buy an icecream,” one of the men said.
The man, who did not wish to be identified, said one victim was shot in the leg and the other suffered a stomach wound.
“. . . but I think they’re both all right,” he said.
Police had left the scene by 3.50pm. They were last night urging anyone with any information to call 111 or the Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111.
Monica Julian, berry farm owner