One dead, another seriously injured in incident at Hamilton Lake

Friday, 19 December 2025

Residents on Lake Crescent in Hamilton are on edge after a man was slain nearby and another was seriously injured.

Police said they’re conducting scene examinations at a Lake Crescent property and a block of public toilets at Innes Common.

Police were called to a house near Hamilton Lake around 6.15pm on Thursday where they found two people with serious injuries.

One man died at the scene and his body remained in place on Friday morning, part way down a long, cordoned-off driveway among some of the city’s most desirable homes.

Armed police and cordons were in place near the Lake Cres and Allison St intersection as well as the Innes Common public toilets on the lake front, a heavily used public space about 200m away.

Detective Inspector Daryl Smith said they believed those involved “travelled on foot” between the house and the toilet blocks.

Residents can expect to see police in the area while their investigation continues.

One resident, Kiely, described the mood as sombre and sad “because it’s a bit close to home”.

She was visiting a couple who were “pretty scared”.

“They’re an older couple and they were just talking about making sure everything is locked up,” she said.

There’s a major sense of unease around the area, Kiely said.

“This is not a rough sort of neighbourhood.”

Another Lake Cr resident Geoff Genner said it’s the first time the road has been cordoned off by police in his ten years there.

The road is often closed for events or roadworks, he said.

One man, who was off on a bike ride when approached by the Waikato Times, said he came home on Thursday night to police on his street.

“We thought it was a booze stop,” he said.

Another resident said the police presence is “a good idea” and necessary.

“If there’s been a murder though, of course they have to be out there. But it doesn’t worry me,” she said.

A second person suffered a serious arm injury in the incident and was taken to Waikato Hospital.

Detective Inspector Daryl Smith said they’re conducting scene examinations at the Lake Crescent property and the Innes Common toilet block.

Smith said police are working to find those involved and ask anyone with information to come forward.

“We know this will be an unsettling time for those in our community that such violence occurred in a public place. I can reassure people we are working hard to hold people to account,” Smith said.