Police have released the name of the hunter fatally shot in Tolaga Bay on Saturday, after a 39-year-old man appeared in court facing a charge relating to a firearm.
The person shot was John James Stuart Atkins, 44, from Tolaga Bay.
The hunter was injured on Tauwhaeparae Road at about 10.30pm on August 24 and later died in hospital, several hours later, according to police.
Detective Inspector Dave de Lange said: “This is a tragic incident; our thoughts are with Mr Atkin’s family at this difficult time, and we are providing support to those involved.”
He added inquiries into the events that led to Atkin’s death are ongoing, with a man facing a charge relating to a firearm. On Monday, a 39-year-old Gisborne man appeared in the Gisborne District Court charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, police said.
He is expected to reappear on September 9.
