Children killed in Rotorua home were 11 months and 3 years old, police say

The children involved in an alleged triple homicide in Rotorua were just 3 and 11 months old.The investigation into the deaths of three people, the two children and a woman, at a home in Glenholme was continuing on Wednesday, Bay of Plenty acting district commander inspector Logan Marsh said."We can now release the age of the two deceased young children. They were an 11-month-old and a three-year-old."Police are continuing to support the family following this traumatic incident."Emergency services arrived at the home on High Street in Glenholme shortly before 10.30pm on Monday, where they found the bodies of two young children along with a critically injured woman who died at the scene.Police began a homicide investigation and a man in his early 20s appeared in the Rotorua District Court on Tuesday, charged with assaulting a person in a family relationship.The man and the victims were granted interim name suppression and he was remanded in custody until next month.Marsh said police and other specialist teams remain at the scene on High Street - with a forensic examination ongoing."Our team are working tirelessly and meticulously through a complex scene, so we can provide answers for those impacted."An investigation of this nature will take some time and we thank the community for their patience."Staff will continue to conduct additional reassurance patrols in the Glenholme area and wider community over the coming days."Police officers making inquiries into a serious incident in High St, Rotorua, 8 September 2026.NZMEOn Wednesday morning, Rotorua mayor Tania Tapsell said the community was devastated by the news."We're really devastated about the triple homicide that's occurred here in Rotorua and especially in the Glenholme neighbourhood. Look, this is a very … nice families that live there for multiple generations, quite a lot of elderly people."This is a wonderful neighbourhood that we are just shaken to our core that this has happened in Rotorua and there continues to be a police presence as they complete their investigations."Unfortunately, we do know that there are two very young children involved in this incident, so our thoughts are with the victims and all those impacted."Rotorua police at the scene of the triple homicide on High Street in Glenholme.RNZ / Rachel MooreTapsell said her message to the community was to stay strong, look after one another and report things to police if they had concerns."We need to support each other, not only through this incident but also as we continue to deal with increased uncertainty."A 79-year-old man who had lived on the street his whole life said he was in shock since learning what had happened.The people living in the house seemed to have recently moved in, he said, and he had seen new children around the street.A hearse arrived and family members were seen hugging and crying outside the High Street house on Tuesday evening.