Australian tourist is shot dead while sleeping inside a campervan near a remote New Zealand lookout – as his girlfriend makes miracle escape from gunman and alerts police
- An Australian tourist was shot dead in New Zealand while his girlfriend escaped
- The body was found inside a stolen campervan in New Zealand at 3.20am
- Police are now appealing for witnesses to help piece together the incident
- A couple camping nearby were woken at 4.30am and questioned by police
The body of an Australian tourist who was shot dead has been found stuffed inside a stolen campervan which was abandoned on the side of the road.
He and his Canadian girlfriend were asleep in the van in Raglan, New Zealand, when an unknown person attempted to break in about 3.20am on Friday.
The Canadian woman managed to flee and ran for several kilometres seeking help after the attack.
The couple were allegedly woken by a stranger banging on the window and demanding the keys to the campervan.
The Australian man was shot multiple times during the attack.
The body of an Australian tourist who was shot dead has been found stuffed inside a stolen campervan which was abandoned on the side of the road
Police have not yet publicly named the man, whose body was found about 3.20am on Friday, on Gordonton Road on the outskirts of Hamilton, New Zealand.
Officers responded to a ‘serious incident’ in nearby Raglan shortly before the grim discovery, and are still searching for the gunman.
A couple who were sleeping in a nearby caravan were woken up and spoken to by police at 4.30am regarding the incident.
Police and the Armed Offenders Squad told them they were on the hunt for a shooter who they believe may have killed the unidentified man.
‘We got told to put our hands up, come outside. [Police] pretty much told us what had happened,’ Kyle John-Roebuck Allan told Stuff.
‘Obviously the suspect they were looking for had taken an Apollo wagon… They took us outside, made sure the suspect wasn’t inside our vehicle,’ he said.
Officers responded to a ‘serious incident’ in nearby Raglan shortly before the grim discovery, and are still searching for the gunman
After officers searched the van, they moved on toward the Karioi Summit Track entrance, at Te Toto Gorge, where they believe the incident first took place.
Police cars blocked the entrance to the car park when they arrived and covered an area of gravel with tarpaulin, witnesses claimed.
They are now working to inform the dead man’s next of kin, and are appealing with the public to come forward with information.
Police want to hear from anyone who may have seen a White 2017 Toyota Hiace ZL registration KWF362 overnight.
Anyone who saw the campervan is urged to contact the Hamilton Police on 07 858 6200 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.