An 18-year-old Cannons Creek man has been remanded in custody for a week in relation to the fatal shooting in the Lower Hutt suburb of Petone overnight.



Dillin Pakai appeared in Wellington District Court with Mongrel Mob gang tattooes on his face.



He was charged with unlawful possession of a homemade pistol and burglary of the flats where a man was found dead late last night. He did not enter any plea.



His lawyer Kevin Smith did not ask for bail or for name suppression, but was expected to apply next week for bail.



A 25-year-old man died in Jackson Street after being shot in what was understood to have been a fight involving rival factions of the Mongrel Mob.



The 18-year-old man and a 43-year-old man were arrested in Newlands following the shooting, police said.



Both men have been charged with unlawfully possessing a firearm and burglary. The 43-year-old is in hospital with serious machete wounds.



Police were called to Jackson Street, at 10.40 last night, after reports of a fight and gunshots. The shot man was found a short distance away and attempts to revive him failed. His name has not been released.



Police said they have opened a homicide inquiry.



The 43-year-old man suffered several serious machete wounds after police said he was set upon with a cricket bat and a machete by associates of the slain man.



The associates also attacked the car the pair were driving, police said. It sustained a damaged windscreen and tyres.



The 43-year-old man called for an ambulance following the shooting, and was picked up at a Newlands house where the duo had fled after the fight, police said.



Police were examining the scene at Jackson St and an address in Black Rock Rd, Newlands.



"Police would like to speak to anyone who saw or heard anything in the Jackson St area around 10.30pm last night," Detective Senior Sergeant Dave Thornton said today.



"We are also interested in hearing from anyone that saw a red 1994 Nissan Lucino, registration GKU810, which has travelled from the Hutt Valley to Newlands.



"Police have recovered the vehicle and one of the tyres is down to the rim, so it is likely people would have seen it sparking on the road."



Police said the car was reported stolen from Tawa last night.



GUNSHOTS HEARD



Police were called to Jackson St after reports of a fight and multiple gunshots.



They found the 25-year-old man a short distance away with a single bullet wound in his abdomen.



A large area outside a block of flats on Jackson St were cordoned off this morning while police investigated.



Kamal Chandra, complex manager of the apartments said he heard the sound of breaking glass and what sounded like firecrackers, before seeing the police arrive and try to save the stricken man.



"They tried to bring him back but it didn't work," he said.



Chandra said that while gang members lived in and around the complex, there had not been much trouble lately.



"There are only problems when outsiders come in," he said.



He did not think the dead man was a gang member, but the 25-year-old was friends with Mongrel Mob members and was "respected" by them, he said.



Jackson St resident Sam Vaoga said he heard gunshots and shouting on the street.



"We heard people yelling and swearing, then we heard shots so we thought we'd better stay inside," he said



Vaoga said he heard four shots in quick succession followed by two more a couple of seconds later.



Another resident, who asked not to be named, also said she heard about six gunshots.



"It sounds like a fight got out of control," she said, adding that fights were common in the neighbourhood.



"I've lived here for six years, and this is the first time I've heard gunshots."



Resident Michael Bedwell said he came home this morning after a night busking on Courtenay Place in central Wellington to find the area outside his flat cordoned off.



"It's freaky, I'm just glad I wasn't here for it," he said.



"It's scary when you come home and find police cars outside your house."



The dead man had a partner and a young son, police said.



FAMILY GATHERS AT SCENE



Relatives of the victim, a "friendly young man", embraced at the scene of his death in Petone this morning.



A male family member, who did not want to be named, said they got an early call to comefrom Wainuiomata, but were "in the dark" on how events unfolded.



Another woman at the scene, who was not a relative but knew the victim, said he was "in the wrong place at the wrong time."



He was a "friendly young man" who was also quite charitable, she said.



"He would always give my kid money," she said.



"He would say 'here you go, bro'."

PHIL REID/Fairfax NZ UNDER INVESTIGATION: The scene of a shooting death in Jackson St, Petone.