Murder charge in Mohaka shooting

Murder charge in Mohaka shooting

Police have charged a 62-year-old man with murder for the shooting death of a man, believed to be his son, at a rural Hawke's Bay property which left the community reeling.

Police arrested the man following the fatal shooting on a rural property in Mohaka on Wednesday morning.

Emergency services, including the Hawke's Bay Rescue Helicopter, were called to the scene around 11am where the 42-year-old victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

They've now charged him with the man's murder. The victim is believed to be his son.

He'll appear in the Gisborne District Court on Thursday.

Meanwhile, a scene investigation will continue at the property and a post-mortem expected on Friday.

The accused's cousin Charles Lambert, a youth councillor with the Wairoa District Council, says while he and the rest of the community didn't know what led to the death, it has shocked them nonetheless.

"The [dad] is pretty well known by the people of Mohaka, he works in well with the community, he'd been working locally and by all accounts everyone thinks he's a nice guy," Mr Lambert said.

"We are quite shocked, we didn't really expect this to happen any day of the week."

Mr Lambert says the older man had moved back to Mohaka around 10 or 15 years ago to be with his mother. He had been living on his own, and Mr Lambert wasn't sure how long the son had also been at the house.

While the 62-year-old, who would normally work at a nearby kiwifruit orchard, had relatives in the area, his immediate family didn't live in Mohaka. Mr Lambert said it would be up to them to make plans for a funeral service.

He says the community will have to wait until the police have made their findings.

"That won't stop us supporting the family until then," he says.

Police aren't looking for anyone else in relation to the shooting and will not comment further on the case.

Newshub.