Auckland man accused of school shooting threats appears in court as trial begins

A 22-year-old man has gone on trial in the Manukau District Court after allegedly sending threatening emails to two Auckland secondary schools, warning of a planned mass shooting and prompting one school to enter lockdown.

According to the Crown, staff at Waiuku College and Rutherford College received an email on March 12, 2025, claiming to be from a former student. The message allegedly threatened the use of homemade firearms and a suicide vest in retaliation for bullying and warned of an imminent attack.

The email, which was also sent to two police stations and Parliament, stated: “Be ready for a fun surprise in the next few days”.

It also claimed: “I can and will get at least 51 kills and beat Brenton Tarrant to become New Zealand’s most deadly shooter.”

The threatening message led Waiuku College to go into lockdown while police launched an investigation.

The Crown alleges the email was sent by Tiedan Huo, 22. Prosecutors said police searched properties linked to Huo the following day, where they allegedly found a shotgun, ammunition and several objectionable publications stored on electronic devices, as reported by the New Zealand Herald.

According to Crown prosecutor Gareth Kayes, the digital material included the manifesto and attack video created by the Christchurch mosque attacker, as well as material linked to other overseas mass shooters, the New Zealand Herald has reported.

Huo faces 12 charges relating to the alleged threats and the items found during the searches. He has pleaded not guilty, denying he sent the emails or possessed the firearm, ammunition and prohibited publications.

Opening the Crown's case, Kayes described the message as a “chilling email” and told the court it carried the subject line: “Important: Don’t come to school tomorrow”, the New Zealand Herald has quoted.

He said the message began with the words: “This is my manifesto”.

According to the prosecution, the author claimed to have experienced years of bullying and harassment after moving to New Zealand and accused teachers and students of mistreatment, the New Zealand Herald has reported.

The email stated that teachers at Waiuku College had treated the writer “very poorly” and regarded them as a “second-class citizen” because they were Chinese.

The author then declared: “I am going to do something about this now.”

The email allegedly claimed the writer had manufactured homemade weapons, including 3D-printed firearms, ammunition and a suicide vest to “take revenge on my bullies,” as quoted by the New Zealand Herald.

It further threatened that the attack could not be stopped. “Even if I am defeated in a gunfight, I will still be able to press the [suicide vest] detonator and kill everyone around me,” the email continued.

The writer also warned they would arrive “nice and early” at either Rutherford College or Waiuku College to show them “what happens to bullies”.

The email added: “I will also make sure the teachers who treated me very poorly get what they deserve,” as quoted by the New Zealand Herald.

Kayes told the court police quickly determined that the person whose name appeared as the sender, a former Waiuku College student, had no involvement in sending the message.

According to the New Zealand Herald, he said investigators later focused on Huo, and searches of two addresses linked to him uncovered evidence that formed the basis of the prosecution's case. Prosecutors allege police recovered laptops, a USB drive, extremist material, a loaded pump-action shotgun, hundreds of shotgun cartridges and a 3D printer.

Kayes told jurors their role was to determine whether Huo had sent the emails, not whether he intended to carry out the threats. He also said one of the accused's laptops contained evidence of the encrypted email service used to send the messages.

The Crown's first witness, Waiuku College principal Stuart Kelly, testified via audio-visual link and described the school's response after receiving the threatening email and entering lockdown, the New Zealand Herald has reported.

During cross-examination, defence lawyer Megan Jenkins questioned Kelly about the former international student whose name appeared on the email, including whether he was aware she had previously complained to the school seeking Chinese-language classes. Kelly said he was not aware of the complaint.

Jenkins also asked whether the school maintained a system for recording bullying complaints, and Kelly confirmed it did, as reported by the New Zealand Herald.

The trial is continuing.