Hamilton community in shock after Melville shooting

  • 09/07/2018
The scene of the shooting.
The scene of the shooting. Photo credit: Newshub.

A Hamilton community is in shock after 23-year-old Robert Nelson was shot dead in the suburb of Melville.

The gunman is still on the run but police are reassuring the public they're safe.

Hamilton City councillor Mark Bunting said it's too close to home.

"I saw on Facebook that people knew the person involved and it just brings to home that these are real people we're talking about, if you don't know them you know their neighbours," he said.

He told Newshub it's a shock the shooting took place in the suburb of Melville.

"There are certainly harder areas to live in Hamilton, it's not your flashest area, but it is a good family area with a lot  good Hamilton folk living in it so it's definitely a bit of a shock," he said.

Two others were also injured and are recovering in Waikato Hospital. Police say the gunman was known to the victim.

Mr Bunting said many are now calling for the return of community policing.

"Not just in some of the lower socio-economic suburbs either, every suburb is calling out for community policing to be reinstated," he said

Newshub.