Arrest made following fatal shooting of Australian man in New Zealand

New Zealand police have confirmed they have arrested a man in Waikato following the shooting death of a 33-year-old Australian man who was holidaying in New Zealand. Sean McKinnon was shot dead by a gunman who broke into his campervan in Raglan early on Friday morning, while a Canadian woman who was travelling with the man managed to escape unharmed.

Waikato Police said in a statement on Saturday morning that they arrested a man overnight when police carried out a search warrant at rural Waikato address.

“A 23-year-old man was located at the address and has been arrested in connection to the death,” police said in a statement. “He has been charged with a number of serious offences including Murder, Aggravated Robbery and Threatens to Kill and will be appearing in the Hamilton District Court later this morning.”

The Australian man killed was identified by police as Sean McKinnon. His family has been spoken to and have been advised of the arrest, police confirmed.

“This is a traumatic time for his family and his partner and the New Zealand Police we will do everything we can to provide them with support they need,” Detective Inspector Graham Pitkethley, Waikato District Crime Manager, said in a statement. “I want to thank those in our community who contacted Police with information and assisted us with our investigation.”

Police also acknowledged the hard work from the investigators involved in this case and explained that the crime had shocked people across New Zealand and the world.

“We want to reassure the community that the safety of our community is our priority and we will do everything we can to find those responsible for serious crimes and hold them to account,” police said.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated when more information becomes available.