on 19 october 1923, the waikino school shooting occurred at waikino school, claiming the lives of two students, kelvin mclean, aged 13, and charles stewart, aged 9. this remains new zealand's only school shooting. the gunman, john christopher higgins, was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. the death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. higgins later had his conviction quashed, on the grounds of insanity.