Police don't think the shooting was random and there is no general risk to the public at large.

A man shot dead at a house in Hamilton overnight was in bed with his partner at the time.

Hamilton police said in a press conference on Sunday afternoon that the suburban Melville house was specifically targeted and that there is no risk to the general public.

Police said Robert Nelson, 23, died in the shooting at a house in Matthews Crescent on Sunday.

FACEBOOK Robert Nelson was fatally shot at a Hamilton house just after 1am on Sunday.

A 20-year-old woman, understood to be his partner, and 17-year-old man, both from Hamilton, were seriously injured and are in Waikato Hospital.

A hospital spokesperson said the woman was in a serious condition in the High Dependency Unit and the man was critical in the Intensive Care Unit.

The shooter remains at large.

CHRISTEL YARDLEY/STUFF The scene of the fatal shooting on Sunday morning.

Detective Senior Sergeant Ross Patterson said that police hoped to have the scene examination finished by Sunday afternoon, which would also mean the removal of Nelson's body.

"We are keeping an open mind as to why this event occurred. We believe this address was targeted, therefore we don't think the public have too much to be concern about.

"I wouldn't describe it as a person going about randomly firing shots at people."

CHRISTEL YARDLEY A 23-year-old man has been killed and a 20-year-old woman and 17-year-old man are seriously injured after a shooting in the Hamilton suburb of Melville.

He was able to confirm that the victims were in bed and getting ready to go to sleep, but wouldn't say if Nelson was protecting his girlfriend, as has been reported by some media outlets.

Patterson has no indication of who the shooter may be or if more than one person was involved.

Neither would Patterson say if it was gang-related, but he did say there was a fourth person in the house at the time and but that person was uninjured.

CHRISTEL YARDLEY/STUFF Four AOS officers are on the scene.

He wouldn't disclose how many shots were fired or how the incident unfolded.

He added that the three victims were well known to each other and spent a bit of time at that address.

Two armed police officers guarded the brick home in the small suburban street of no more than 10 houses on Sunday.

CHRISTEL YARDLEY/STUFF One person is dead and two seriously injured after a shooting in Melville, Hamilton.

Waikato police reported they were called to 4 Matthews Crescent around 1.25am on Sunday when one of the victims called 111.

On Sunday morning, Erin Nelson confirmed her brother Robert was fatally shot.

Erin Nelson declined further comment.

A Matthews Crescent neighbour who declined to be named said she heard three loud shots early in the morning. She was up watching videos in her son's room, looked out the window and saw a person running to a waiting vehicle. The vehicle had a driver waiting.

She said the vehicle was like a people mover, but with a flat top. She wasn't sure of the colour. She spotted just the two occupants.

The vehicle took off and turned right into Minifie Avenue.

The neighbour knew the family involved. The man killed was "a really nice guy".

"I know the young guy. I used to talk to him many times."

She said the occupants are connected to the Mongrel Mob, but said they were quiet and never caused any problems.

A second woman who lives in the small crescent also described the occupants of the house as lovely, particularly the Mongrel Mob member in his 40s who lived there. She didn't take much notice of who came and went, however, and was unsure how many people lived at the 1960s brick home.

They'd been in the house for a couple of years, she said, and had never had a party or created any disturbance in the street.

At least four AOS members in full bulletproof gear and armed with rifles guarded the scene overnight. Two late-model BMWs - one silver, one white, a 1351 - were sitting in the driveway.

Three young family members who looked to be in their 20s, related to one of the victims, left the house about 8.20am on Sunday. They refused to comment.

Nelson had worked at Keystone Restaurant in the south end of Victoria Street for a couple of years and he was working towards getting his chef qualifications.

"A very happy guy, he really was," Keystone spokeswoman Aimee Laing said. "He had a smile for everybody whenever you saw him. It wouldn't matter what kind of duties he was doing, he would always smile, that was just Rob.

"He made a lot of friends, which is why the group is taking it quite hard. He was such a likeable guy he had a lot of time for people. He was a hard worker who moved up through the kitchen"

As a result, Keystone was to close on Sunday night and might also say closed on Monday, Laing said.

A colleague, Levi Kuru, said that Nelson was a good mate.

"We worked together occasionally at Keystone restaurant in the kitchen as chefs. He was a awesome dude - always helped out and always happy."

A Givealittle page was being set up for the family to help with funeral costs.

Anyone who has information relating to the fatal shooting is asked to contact the investigation team at the Hamilton police on 07 858 6200. Alternatively, information can be left anonymously with the Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.