What happened
In November 1990, David Gray killed 13 people in the small coastal settlement of Aramoana near Dunedin.
The investigation
The shooting triggered a prolonged armed-police response and one of New Zealand’s largest manhunts at the time. Residents sheltered while specialist officers searched the area.
What the courts or investigators concluded
Gray was located the following day and died after exchanging gunfire with police, so there was no criminal trial.
Why the case remains significant
Aramoana became a defining event in New Zealand’s modern crime history and contributed to debate and subsequent changes around firearms regulation and police tactical response.
Case context
Crime by Region organizes cases geographically so readers can move from one file to other investigations from the same country. For unresolved or contested cases, the wording above reflects the distinction between confirmed events, investigative theories and findings actually established in court.