The man suspected of shooting dead two staff at a New Zealand unemployment office has been taken into custody without any more shots being fired.



Police dogs and members of the armed offenders squad caught 48-year-old Russell John Tully just after 5pm local time on Monday not far from Lake Hood, just east of Ashburton.

He had to be treated for dog bite injuries afterwards.

Police had spent much of the day searching for the homeless man after two Work and Income employees were shot dead and another seriously injured about 10am.



Canterbury district commander Superintendent Gary Knowles said there were about 100 staff involved in the search, with extra resources brought in from across Canterbury.

New Zealand police arrest suspected killer after he fled the scene of a double shooting on a bicycle – video Guardian

Police are still looking for the weapon used in the shooting.

A decision on what charges will be laid may not be made until Tuesday morning.

Meanwhile, social development minister Paula Bennett, who was visibly upset, said she was in complete shock.

“It’s an incredibly sad day for the victims’ families, for Work and Income staff in general and I think for all of New Zealand,” she told reporters outside the Ashburton police station.

“I don’t think anyone woke up this morning imaging that this was what they would be dealing with in the day. This is a small community, the Work and Income staff stick together, they’re proud of the work that they do.”

All its offices have security guards, but Bennett said there was little anyone could do to prevent the tragedy.

“In this kind of circumstance I can’t imagine anything was going to stop what he did. It was someone with an absolute intent and it’s just horrific,” she said.

Bennett intends to speak with the families of the victims at some stage.

The chief executive of the ministry of social development, Brendan Boyle, confirmed that Tully had a history with Work and Income and had been removed from the office a week ago for intimidating behaviour.

Staff are being offered counselling and support.

Some clients were also in the office at the time of the shooting.

A person who witnessed the shooting told the Ashburton Guardian that a man entered wearing a black balaclava and shot two women.

Just last month the newspaper ran a story on Tully after he pitched a tent in the town’s domain. He was moved on by police and had been sleeping rough by the Ashburton river.

He told the newspaper he had fallen out with his flatmate and couldn’t afford the $NZ300 ($279.29) a week rent for other houses available in Ashburton.

Tully told the Ashburton Guardian he’d returned to his hometown in 2011 after working in mines in Australia.

He had “come home to die” from an unnamed skin disease which caused boil-type lumps and tightened his joints.