Family friends of the 16-year-old shot dead at a party on Friday night in Christchurch are appealing for anyone with any information to come forward.
Police say they know who was involved in Connor Whitehead's death and have arrested a 46-year-old man charged with accessory after the fact to murder.
Whitehead's mother's best friend, Chanel Neho-Gillies, says his death still hasn't sunk in.
"Numb, you just don't believe it."
Neho-Gillies and other friends have been supporting Whitehead's mum Cheryl since police gave her the news in the middle of the night on Friday.
"She's holding together very strong because she's a very strong woman, but like any parent or any mother, father, she's up and down. She cries and then laughs about memories," Neho-Gillies says.
But she and her ex-partner James are living every parent's biggest fear.
"This is a tragedy and no mother, no parent, should be burying their child. And guns, what the hell are guns doing at a teenage party?"
The Burnside High School student loved to make his own beats on his computer and told his mum he wanted to be a lawyer.
"[Whitehead was] funny, very, very funny, just very social, very out there, just funny," Neho-Gillies says.
Police were still forensically searching the scene on Sunday in the quiet Casebrook cul-de-sac where the boy was gunned down in front of his friends at a 15th birthday party.
Police say they now believe they know who was involved in Connor's death, and on Saturday night they arrested a 46-year-old man who was allegedly assisting the people directly involved.
A neighbour of the party says he heard the gunshots.
"It sounded like a small calibre pistol," says Braden Currie.
He came out to see lots of panicked kids and then someone being arrested.
"I saw an arrest just by the corner over there, the police were yelling at a young fella, couldn't really hear what that was about."
Neho-Gillies has set up a Givealittle page to support Whitehead's mum, brother, and sister.
"Just to help her not worry about rent, bills, food."
She implores anyone who knows anything to come forward and speak up.
"Anyone who was at the party, if you've heard anything, anything little, could just help, that's all we want. We want the person who's done this to be held accountable."
