By Emma Cropper
Today marks a year to the day since a lone gunman strolled into Ashburton's Work and Income office and shot dead two women while they worked.
Although a man is still to stand trial for the crime, the two victims' former colleagues held a memorial service in the town today to remember the tragedy.
It was an emotional walk to their old office for the former colleagues as one-by-one they each laid wreaths at the same door where the gunman entered and ended the lives of two of their colleagues.
At 9:52am on September 1 last year, Peggy Noble and Leigh Cleveland were gunned down at their desks. A third victim, Lindy Curtis, was shot and crawled away injured.
Workers at the new Work and Income office, which was tightly guarded by security, took this morning off to remember the tragedy.
Ashburton's Mayor Angus Mackay says today is about reflecting and moving forward.
"A large part of the community was in shock that this has happened in our great town of Ashburton that has a record of being safe and still is safe today."
More than 400 people have been trespassed from Ministry of Social Development offices in the past year as tighter security was put in place following the shooting.
The Work and Income building where the shooting took place has been sold and will now become a community facility.
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