An appeal for information has been made by Inspector Duncan MacLeod police Area Commander in Wanganui asking the local community and the gangs to co-operate and assist the police inquiry into the tragic shooting of the two year old baby girl on Saturday evening.
Inspector MacLeod said "We will only solve this tragic crime with the assistance of all of the community and I appeal to anybody who has any information which will help us with our inquiry to come forward and contact the police."
There are 30 police officers working on the homicide investigation, further staff having been drafted in from Masterton, Kapiti Mana, Palmerston North and New Plymouth.
Inspector MacLeod said the area immediately around the house in which the baby died has been searched and a number of items of interest found. Police investigators and forensic scientists will continue with the examination of the Puriri Street house and it is hoped that that examination will be completed by later today.
Another team of police officers are speaking to the occupants of houses in the immediate area of the shooting and it is thought that this task will take several more days.
To build a picture of the sequence of events and exactly what happened, other investigation staff are busy interviewing witnesses to the incident and other incidents which may be connected to the "drive -by" shooting.
The body of the child has been taken this morning to Wellington for a post mortem examination and it is hoped the child will be returned to its family this evening.
The dead baby's family have asked the police not to release the name of the child and we will respect their wishes.
ENDS
NOTE: there will be a media conference at the Wanganui Police Station @ 3pm today
For further information contact Detective Dennis O'Rourke - 021 456 199