Hamilton brawl: 20-year-old killed was celebrating upcoming birthday
Photo:
RNZ / Daniel Gilhooly
Police say the 20-year-old killed after a
brawl in Hamilton at the weekend
was celebrating his upcoming birthday at the time.
Locals near to the scene of a fatal brawl in Hamilton at the weekend have voiced there concerns about safety in the area.
Police have launched a homicide investigation after the death of a 20-year-old man following a fight on Alexandra Street just after midnight on Sunday.
Three others were also injured, some seriously, but have since been discharged from hospital.
RNZ understands a sharp weapon may have been involved.
Detective inspector Daryl Smith says they are continuing to investigate.
"We are speaking to a number of witnesses and people involved in the altercation and are making a number of enquiries to locate the offender and the weapon or weapons that were used," he said.
"At the time, Alexandra Street was busy with cars and pedestrians. We think it's highly likely that critical information was recorded on dashcam or cell phones. "
Smith said anyone with photos or videos taken between 11.30 on Saturday night and 12.30 on Sunday morning can upload them to a dedicated web portal.
"There is still a lot of work ahead of us to understand the full circumstances of what occurred, but the investigation team is committed to piecing the many fragments together."
An RNZ reporter on the scene on Monday saw a trail of blood on the floor of a container walkway on Alexandra Street.
A Wintec student, who uses an art studio on the same street as the told RNZ she doesn't feel safe in that area at night.
The art student, who didn't want to be named, said it was frightening to have the attack happen to young people so close by.
"My brother and his friends were out in town drinking that night, and one of our friends was going to be going into the studio that night, and she decided not to, thankfully," she said,
"It could have been anyone."
A business owner on the same street, who RNZ has also agreed not to name, said the area usually attracted a young crowd.
"This'll be the first time that it's happened since we've opened," she said.
"I'm worried all the time."
Police say
anyone with information on what happened should get in contact
.
RNZ approached the office of the city's mayor, Paula Southgate, for comment.
A representative for the mayor said she would not be commenting while the investigation was ongoing.
Bar workers were unable to access their cars parked on the street and were told by police to either walk home or Uber, sources told RNZ.
Police said there will continue to be a visible police presence in Hamilton as the investigation continues, as well as reassurance patrols in the community.
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