Attribute to Detective Inspector Dave de Lange:
Gisborne Police can now name the two men killed at a party in Lytton Street on Saturday night and can confirm a second arrest has been made.
The deceased men were Kane Wiremu Te Paa, 30, of Wainuiomata, and Chrysler Stevens-Mark, 21, of Gisborne.
Our thoughts are with Kane and Chrysler’s whānau.
The party in Lytton Street was a whānau birthday celebration for Chrysler. Prior to uninvited guests arriving, the partygoers had been having a great night and there were no problems.
This is a tragedy that didn’t need to happen.
Today, a 25-year-old Gisborne man was discharged from Gisborne Hospital. He was taken into custody and has been charged with assault. Police can confirm this individual was one of the uninvited guests who arrived at the party shortly before the incident began.
He is expected to appear in the Gisborne District Court tomorrow afternoon (27 March).
At this time, he is the second person charged in relation to this incident, with a 29-year-old Gisborne man being charged with injuring with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Following the latest arrest, Police no longer have an ongoing presence at the hospital.
The final post-mortem concluded this afternoon, allowing both whānau to move on to planning tangi.
At this time, Police are not able to elaborate on the cause of death, beyond the fact that both men died from injuries sustained during the altercation.
A karakia has taken place at the scene where the incident occurred, and it is expected to be released back to whānau this evening.
Police will offer support to the whānau as they plan the tangi, however this is a deeply personal process and for them alone to plan. Once arrangements have been made, we will look at how we can provide support as they farewell their loved ones.
In Gisborne, we are continuing to carry out reassurance patrols, but there have been no reported incidents relating to the events of Sunday night.
We will continue to have a highly visible presence around the city over the coming days.
Police would still like to hear from anyone who was at the party on Saturday evening, or anyone who has photos or video of the party or altercation.
If you have videos or photos, you can upload them via our dedicated online portal: https://middle-park.nc3.govt.nz/
Other information can be provided via 105, either by phone or online at 105.police.govt.nz, clicking “Update Report”. Please reference the file number 240324/0768.
Information can also be provided anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
ENDS
Issued by the Police Media Centre