Out of the Blue (2007) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Gray killed Garry Holden after a confrontation that began when Gray verbally abused children wandering into his yard. When Holden came out to defend the children, Gray retreated briefly but then returned armed with a rifle and shot Holden dead. The argument appears to have been triggered by the initial dispute with the children, though the exact motive is not fully detailed in the account.

• david gray
• garry holden
• murder
• aramoana
• killing

The only survivor of the massacre was 3-year-old Stacey Percy, who was found wounded but conscious in the vehicle that Gray attacked. She was the sole surviving occupant of the six-person utility that includes three children, and she recovered in hospital after the attack.

• stacey percy
• survivor
• aramoana
• child survivor
• massacre

Sgt Stewart Guthrie was the first police responder killed during the massacre. He and other officers were attempting to surround Gray's house when Gray surprised Guthrie from behind and shot him dead.

• stewart guthrie
• police killed
• aramoana shooting
• officer death

Chiquita and Jasmine Holden witnessed their father being shot by David Gray. Chiquita was wounded during the attack but managed to escape with Jasmine and Rewa (the adopted daughter) to seek help. Both Chiquita and Stacey Percy later recovered in hospital.

• chiquita holden
• jasmine holden
• holden daughters
• children escaped
• aramoana

Gray set Holden's house on fire during his pursuit of the children who had fled inside to hide. The fire broke out as Julie-Anne and others were driving toward the scene to rescue the girls, forcing them to turn back as Gray fired on their vehicle.

• holden house fire
• aramoana fire
• house burning
• fire set

When Harvey first had Gray in his sights with his rifle, he hesitated and missed the opportunity to take the shot. This hesitation allowed Gray to continue his rampage. Harvey was later described as visibly shaken and physically ill by the enormity of the scene he witnessed.

• nick harvey
• police hesitation
• shooting opportunity
• aramoana police

Chris Cole was a neighbor who joined Eva Dickson outside her home to investigate the gunfire. Gray opened fire from an unseen position, striking Cole. Although Dickson returned to help him, Cole remained conscious but badly wounded and later died from his injuries.

• chris cole
• neighbor shot
• died from injuries
• aramoana victim

The siege ended the following morning when the Armed Offenders Squad (AOS) surrounded Gray's crib (house) and deployed tear gas. Gray burst out shouting obscenities and firing from the hip. The AOS officers returned fire, wounding him multiple times. He collapsed and died from his wounds as officers restrained him.

• aos
• siege ended
• tear gas
• gray killed
• armed offenders squad

Eva Dickson, an elderly widow recovering from hip surgery, stepped outside with her walking frame to investigate the gunfire. When Gray opened fire, she was narrowly missed. She crawled back inside to call police, then returned to help Chris Cole, who had been shot. She was later escorted from her home by AOS officers in a gesture of respect.

• eva dickson
• elderly victim
• police respect
• aramoana survivor

Thirteen people died in the Aramoana massacre on November 13, 1990. The deaths included Garry Holden, two men in a nearby house, Chris Cole (who died from his wounds), police Sgt Stewart Guthrie, and seven others in the utility vehicle attack. The final list was shown in the postscript montage.

• death toll
• 13 dead
• victims
• aramoana massacre
• fatalities

Gray attacked the six-person utility vehicle that drove up from the beach near the burning house. The vehicle contained three children among its six occupants. Gray exited and opened fire on the vehicle in what appears to be an indiscriminate attack on anyone who approached the area.

• utility vehicle
• children shot
• car attack
• aramoana shooting

Gray's rampage began after a heated dispute with bank staff over a minor issue earlier that afternoon. He returned home visibly disturbed to his parents' holiday home, where a cache of firearms was stored. The bank confrontation appears to have been the triggering event that led to his violent outbreak, though the full extent of his motives is not fully detailed.

Foreshadowing: The bank confrontation establishes Gray's unstable mental state before the violence begins.

• bank dispute
• gun collection
• rampage started
• aramoana shooting cause

The massacre began in the late afternoon of November 13, 1990, and continued through the night. The siege lasted approximately 12 hours until the Armed Offenders Squad assault on the morning of November 14, 1990, when Gray was killed.

• duration
• night siege
• november 13
• time period
• 12 hours