By Craig Kapitan of 
Hone Reihana pleaded guilty to discharging a firearm at the Sofitel Hotel in Auckland last year. Photo: RNZ / Simon Rogers
A patched Head Hunters gang member who once considered himself "the most wanted man in New Zealand" after opening fire in the lobby of a five-star Auckland hotel around checkout time has admitted the offence.
Hone Hekenui Hawira, also known as Hone Reihana, blew kisses at children in the gallery of the High Court at Auckland today as he appeared for arraignment via an audio-video feed from a prison holding cell.
He pleaded guilty to discharging a firearm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm at the Sofitel Hotel in Auckland's waterfront Viaduct area in April last year.
The high-profile shooting came after weeks of tit-for-tat exchanges between Hawira's Head Hunters motorcycle gang and the rival Mongols gang, according to court documents. They included a car that was set on fire and other shootings, police alleged.
No one was injured in the 9am Sofitel shooting, but it sparked a city-wide police response with armed officers and the Eagle helicopter.
A Mongols member had already been staying at the hotel when Hawira showed up around 12.30am.
He left an hour later and stayed at another hotel but returned to Sofitel at 7.48am, authorities alleged.
The Mongols member was checking out around 9am, talking to a hotel employee as he waited for his vehicle to be retrieved from valet parking, when Hawira walked through the foyer area and pulled a pistol from his shoulder bag, documents stated.
He fired two shots, police alleged, which were later found in the wall directly behind where the complainants had been sitting.
Hawira declined to speak with police after his arrest but said he was the most wanted man in New Zealand, documents stated.
At today's brief hearing, Justice Simon Moore set a tentative sentencing date for later this month.
Others alleged to have been involved in the shooting are scheduled to go to trial next week.
*This story was originally published on NZ Herald.
