Shooting victim in stable condition: family spokeswoman

THE victim of a shooting north of Dunedin on Friday afternoon is in a stable condition, a family spokeswoman says.

The man was taken to Christchurch Hospital by helicopter on Friday in a critical condition after an incident at a property in Karitane.

The Otago Daily Times understands the man was shot in the head.

The spokeswoman said the victim was surrounded by family at the hospital yesterday.

‘‘It’s still uncertain at the moment but he’s doing OK, under the circumstances. He’s surviving,’’ she said.

She declined to provide further details.

A spokesman for Christchurch Hospital declined to provide an update on the victim’s condition, citing privacy concerns.

Meanwhile, on Saturday a 24yearold man appeared in the Dunedin District Court, charged with attempted murder after the shooting.

The accused was granted interim name suppression and remanded in custody until his next court appearance in the High Court on October 26.

The victim’s name was also suppressed.

ODT reporters saw a man in handcuffs who had been arrested on SH1 just after 4pm on Friday.

Shortly afterwards, about 4.45pm, at the Karitane property, reporters saw the victim on a stretcher being loaded into a helicopter.

Detective Inspector Stu Harvey, of Dunedin, said police were called to the scene about 3.20pm.

Police were not looking for anyone else in relation to the incident and were still working to establish the circumstances.

However, it was believed the two men were known to each other, he said.

The family spokeswoman disputed this and said the shooting was random and ‘‘out of the blue’’.

Police declined to comment further yesterday.