Mourning for mother and daughter killed in Northland shooting, as man manages to flee

Thursday, 27 July 2017

A whānau member of the Whangarei shooting victims has spoken exclusively to Kawe Kōrero Reporters about who the mother and daughter were.

Jeff Pipe took a bullet in his back, then managed to escape in his car while another bullet broke his windscreen.

Behind him a mother and daughter lay dead, shot when they turned up for a property inspection in rural Northland.

Wendy Campbell Rodgers and her daughter Natanya Campbell were gunned down as they arrived at the property on Wednesday to carry out repairs.

Natanya Campbell and her mum Wendy Campbell Rodgers were killed when they were carrying out a property inspection in Northland.

Pipe, originally from Christchurch, managed to drive down Mt Tiger Rd where police helped him. He is in a stable condition in Whangarei Hospital.

* Gunmen likely dead after double-fatal shooting**

A post shared to Facebook described how Wendy and Natanya were 'stripped from their families, their friends and relatives'.

Police will continue to investigate the complex crime scene in order to unravel the tragic chain of events.

Wendy, originally from Invercargill, worked for Seek n Find Property Management, based out of the home where she lived with her husband Tony.

Julie Pepper, who was a close friend of Wendy's, said she had been at the scene as the bodies were removed on Thursday afternoon.

Wendy Campbell arrived at the house with daughter Natanya when they were shot dead.

She had joined about 80 people on the property – family and friends of the victims – trying to comfort each other over a 'tough couple of hours'.

Police have confirmed that two people are dead and a third injured currently in hospital, after a man opened fire during a routine property inspection at a property just outside Whangarei, Northland.

'Obviously I'm very upset about it and in disbelief, you know it's happened but you just can't fathom it, and it's very, very hard news to accept and understand.'

She said Tony was being 'well supported' by friends, family members and his church.

'Tony's still coming to grips with the reality of the situation and I think tomorrow Tony and his family will be in a better position to start thinking about the way forward from here.'

Wendy's neighbours said they were shocked to learn she and her daughter were the victims of the shooting.

Emergency services descended on the rural Northland community.t.

Flowers had been left near the door of her Whangarei Heads home.

Natanya, 37, who had lived in tiny rural Mitimiti until moving to Whangarei three years ago, has left behind four daughters.

Whangarei Mayor Sheryl Mai expressed her shock and disbelief upon hearing of the 'ghastly' incident, and extended her support to the families and communities affected.

THE SURVIVOR

Pipe escaped with his life after managing to reach one of the police cordons in his red 4x4. A bullet hole could be seen in the vehicle's windscreen.

The local contractor's family did not wish to speak about the tragic incident when approached for comment.

Friend Tim Boyd described Pipe as an 'absolute classic Kiwi bloke'.

Pipe bought his home from Boyd about two years ago after he moved to Northland from Christchurch. The pair have since become friends.

Boyd didn't hear of the shootings until Thursday morning when his daughter asked him if Pipe had been involved.

'She said 'does he drive a red Suzuki?',' Boyd said. 'I said 'yes he does' and she said, 'well its got bullet holes in the windscreen'.'

Boyd wasn't sure how Pipe or his wife Valerie were doing in the aftermath of the shootings as he hadn't been in touch with either of them yet. However, he said: 'He's a salt of the earth type of guy, do anything for you - [a] really decent family man.

'He has a classic Kiwi can-do mentality. He does everything from fix a squeaky door to fix your car. A real handyman.'

Boyd said Pipe had been shot twice, in the back and shoulder.