The Events
Still from the film, Out Of The Blue.
On the fateful night of the 13th of November, 1990, one man destroyed the small, quiet lifestyle of a seaside town called Aramoana. Following an argument with his neighbour, Garry Holden, David Gray went into his home and retrieved a gun. He then went back outside and shot Garry Holden. Hearing the shots, Chiquita and Jasmine Holden (Garry’s daughters) and Rewa Bryson hide inside the Holden family home. Gray entered the house and shot Chiquita Holden, who then ran outside to see the body of her father before running to Julie Ann Bryson’s home, at which point the events at the Holden residence are unknown. Mrs Bryson then dialled 111 and then drove with Chiquita back to the Holden residence in her van, only to discover that the house was burning and that Gray was standing ready for them when he then fired shots at the van. In such a quiet, friendly place that Aramoana was, the sight of the fire caused the locals to rush to the building in aid, however Gray shot at anything that moved, as it has been said. Vanessa Percy was ruthlessly shot while running down the street and Leo Wilson and Dion Percy were also shot and killed, but their sister, Stacey, survived with severe wounds, after their father, Ross Percy stopped his ute after seeing the fire along with Aleki Tali, a family friend of the Percy’s. Locals, James Dickson, Vic Crimp and Tim Jamieson, were also shot and killed by Gray. Eva Dickson (James Dickson’s mother) and Chris Cole were both badly injured and could not walk. Sergeant Stewart Guthrie, a police officer from Port Chalmers was the first law enforcement officer onto the scene. He confronted Gray at Aramoana and was heartlessly gunned down. Sgt. Guthrie had been commanded to order Grays surrender first, and only after that had been denied was he allowed to shoot Gray, which put Sgt. Guthrie at a major disadvantage that probably cost him his life. A while afterwards, the Armed Offenders Squad blocked the road into and out of Aramoana. Early the next morning, members of the Armed Offenders Squad moved into Aramoana and began searching each building, hunting for Gray. They passed the numerous bodies of Grays victims, the young and the elderly, until they finally discovered his location. Gray only left the building he had chosen to hide in after a tear gas canister was thrown in through a smashed window. The squad members watched as the doors of the building opened to reveal Gray, with his Norinco AK47 look alike hidden behind his back, preventing them from shooting, he then raised the gun, revealing it and was shot several times by members of the squad, however he also shot, injuring one member who was shot in the ankle. Squad members then rushed to restrain Gray who is said to have been much stronger than expected, due to the adrenaline coursing through him. Once he was restrained they attempted to sustain his life but were unable to. The precise times of certain points within the massacre are unknown, but what is known that on the 13th of November, 1990 thirteen people lost their lives as David Gray rampaged through Aramoana.