Neighbours to a Hutt Valley shooting have no idea what happened when a man was shot in their street.

Neighbours sleeping just metres away from a suburban house where a man was shot say they heard no commotion.

Despite the gunman remaining on the loose on Wednesday police believe it was a "targeted and deliberate" attack and members of the public do not need to worry.

Emergency services were called to the house in Reynolds St, Taita, shortly after midnight on Wednesday, after the shooter entered the house and opened fire, before fleeing.

TOM HUNT/FAIRFAX NZ An armed police officer stands outside a Reynolds St, Taita, Lower Hutt, property.

Detective Senior Sergeant Warwick McKee said police believed there was "some gang activity" involved in the shooting.

"[The gunman] forced his way and then fired one shot and hit the occupant at close range in the stomach."

Police would not release whether they knew the motivation for the attack or whether the victim and shooter knew each other.

Armed police were stationed outside the Taita House on Wednesday morning.

In a statement, police said it appeared the incident was related to "underlying tensions between two groups".

After the single shot the gunman ran off and remained on the loose, McKee said.

The victim had undergone surgery and was expected to recover.

While neighbours said children lived at the house, McKee said they were not there when the shooting occurred.

A Wellington Hospital spokesperson said the shooting victim was in a stable condition.

Several other people were in the house at the time, police said, but no-one else was injured.

The property, which backs onto a reserve, remained under armed guard on Wednesday morning while police carried out a scene investigation.

Neighbour Paul Couch lives just metres from the house the shooting was at and slept through it.

"It's a pretty nice neighbourhood, but suddenly this year there has been a couple of things."

There was a shooting in a nearby street, a short walk from his house, recently, he said.

Police have appealed for witnesses or further information.