The film is based on the Aramoana massacre that occurred over a period of two days in mid November 1990 in a small seaside settlement in the Otago region of the South Island of New Zealand . The small coastal community of Aramoana ( Māori for " pathway to the sea " ) lies on the edge of the Pacific Ocean at the base of a narrow sandy spit which juts into the mouth of Otago Harbour , 27 kilometres northeast of the city of Dunedin . The settlement is normally a peaceful , idyllic locale , but in 1990 the community was turned upside down as a result of the country 's second worst massacre after Christchurch mosque shootings . Resident David Gray , an unemployed gun enthusiast , went on a shooting spree , killing 13 people before being killed by police
Aramoana massacre
Aramoana massacre
Out of the Blue (2006 film)