Statement to be attributed to Waikato East Area Commander Inspector Dean Anderson:
Enquiries are continuing following a firearms incident in Wardville near Matamata this morning.
Police were initially called to Waghorn Road just after 1.35am after a report a person had been injured.
A man was located a short distance from a rural property with a gunshot injury and taken to hospital in a serious condition. He is currently undergoing surgery.
Local police, supported by the AOS and Eagle Air Support Unit, have been searching the wider area for a person of interest.
The person has not been located at this time.
Indications are that the incident was not gang-related and the individuals were known to each other.
A forensic examination is underway on Waghorn Road where the incident occurred. Cordons remain in place and the rural community will notice an increased Police presence in the area.
If anyone in the area notices anything out of the ordinary on their property, including people who are not known to them, gates left open, equipment tampered with or vehicles taken, please call Police on 111 and quote event number P050980430.
