There has to be hope says leader

A South Auckland community leader is left wondering what needs to happen for gun violence to be eradicated from his hard-hit suburb.

Manukau ward councillor Alf Filipaina struggled to find the words to express his sadness and exasperation after Tangaru-Noere Turia lost his life in yet another shooting incident Thursday night.

An armed man was shot by police after a stand-off at a home in Avis Ave, Papatoetoe.

Police have revealed when Turia eventually came out of his home, he was brandishing his weapon at officers who shot him.

Despite emergency surgery he died in Middlemore Hospital.

Just 10 months ago another man was shot by police a few streets over after a machete rampage.

Hitesh Lal smashed windows and doors of homes on Central Ave. He threatened to kill those inside before being shot by police.

Filipaina said he desperately wanted to see things revert to safety and peace, where people could be assured they would not be in harm’s way.

“It’s just getting to a point now where it seems to not stop. We start moving together and then something happens.

“When I heard about it honestly, without a word of a lie, I thought to myself there has to be hope because we cannot live the way things are going.

“I am forever going to keep that uppermost in my mind and the community. But heck, what do we do?”

While many had spoken about the rising tide of violence in the community and tried to put things in place, incidents with firearms seemed to keep happening.

“I’m at a point, and I know the community is too, how the heck do we end up seeing the light at the end of the tunnel?” he asked.

Following a spate of gangrelated shootings in O¯ tara he had managed to secure funding from the regional commissioner from the Ministry for Social Development for two youth workers who had just started on the field.

Police yesterday announced there would be increased patrols in the area to reassure the community.