Killer Beez Explained

Killer Beez
Founded:	2003
Founding Location:	Ōtara
Founded By:	Josh Masters
Years Active:	2003–present
Territory:	Ōtara
Criminal Activities:	Drug manufacturing, drug sales, aggravated robbery, assassination, fraud, and money laundering.
Rivals:	Bloods, Mongrel Mob, Tribesmen^[1]

The Killer Beez (Killa Bees) are a large street gang based in New Zealand, mainly based in the South Auckland area. They were founded in 2003, as a large rogue street gang in Ōtara,^[2] as a spin-off of the larger "Tribesmen" gang. The Killer Beez were formerly headed by Josh Masters, a well-known kickboxer, also a former vice-president of the Tribesmen MC.^[3]

In 2013, there were 138 members in prison, up from 96 in 2011.^[4] Most Killer Beez inmates housed in Mt Eden Corrections Facility are housed in the Delta Unit.^[5]

Insignia and slang

The Killer Beez emblem or "patch" consists of the words "Killer Beez" and that act as the surrounding rockers for their Skull Fingers Up emblem of a middle finger extended upright with a partially extended thumb. There must be exactly 13 bones which comprise the whole skull finger. This is evident in all of the gang's music videos, released on the colourway records music videos. The gang predominantly wear white black and yellow.

Killer Beez members are commonly referred to as Killer(s) or simply as KB by those closely associated with the gang.^[6]

A common phrase within the gang's music, as well as being used in its logo, is the term AO, pronounced as separate letters, which is an acronym for the gang motto, All Out.

Notable members and associates

• Josh Masters (founder and overall Killer Beez leader)
• Vila Lemanu (high-ranking chapter leader)^[7]
• Rory O'Neill (member)^{[8] [9]}
• Christopher Shadrock (member)
• Hone Kay-Selwyn (member)^[10]

Colourway Records

The New Zealand Companies Office lists Colourway Records as registered from 19 February 2007 until 25 February 2014. The company was directly owned by the partner of Josh Masters, Natalie Patricia Eyles.^[11] The company address listed was a well known pad for The Killer Beez Gang.

The Killer Beez effectively controlled the record label Colourway Records.^[12] Colourway Records was among the assets seized by the New Zealand Police in the 2008 drug raids.^[13]

Colourway Records has released several titles, including "Put Ya Colourz On", which also feature Young Sid^[14] and Josh Masters. They also released an album in 2008, Skull Fingers Up.^[15]

Incidents

• In May 2008, Josh Masters and 41 other members from both the Tribesman and The Killer Beez gangs were arrested in a police sting. In total 60 Killer Beez were arrested in an operation^[16] which involved 110,000 intercepted messages.^[17] Charges included supplying methamphetamine, conspiracy to supply methamphetamine and money laundering. Masters pleaded guilty and fought to have that overturned,^{[18] [19]} but failed.^[20]
• In June 2008, several Killer Beez members, including leader Vila Lemanu and member Christopher Shadrock, were convicted for killing Chinese businesswoman Joanne Wang, after they ran her over in a Manukau shopping mall carpark in front of her 8-year-old son.
• In November 2008, Masters received a 'jailhouse beating' for an outburst in court, leading to complications in the trials of multiple associates.^[21]
• On 15 May 2010, Killer Beez member Latu Kepu killed prison guard Jason Palmer with a single punch at medium-security Springhill Prison. The death has been a rumoured gang hit ordered by the Killer Beez.^[22]
• On 3 August 2012, Masters was sentenced to 10 years and 5 months in prison for organising drug deals after police intercepted thousands of his coded phone conversations.^[23]
• In September 2014, Killer Beez associate Hendrix Hauwai, 17, attacked Lucy Knight, punching her in the head after she tried to intervene in a failed bag-snatch outside a North Shore supermarket. In February 2014, Hauwai was sentenced to jail for 4 years and 9 months by North Shore District Court Judge Pippa Sinclair.^[24]
• In October 2016, six guards were attacked with three being injured in a premeditated attack at Auckland Prison at Paremoremo. The attack occurred on 19 October 2016 after a group of inmates in C Block at Auckland Prison attacked guards with three suffering stab wounds to their heads, necks, hands and shoulders just before 2pm. It is widely thought by inmates at Paremoremo that the attack was planned and carried out by members of the Killer Beez gang.^[25]
• On 4 November 2016, prominent Killer Bee, Rory William O'Neill, was fatally shot in Blockhouse Bay, two months after being released from prison. O'Neill was reported to have asked not to be released due to the Killers Beez ensuring his safety within the prison system.^[26]
• In October 2017, members of the Killer Beez and the 36 (Three Six) gangs were involved in a shooting, where three males in Ōtara were shot in a drive-by shooting. Although the assailants were not identified, the victims of the shooting identified them as members of the gangs.^[27]
• On April 26, 2019 Killer Beez head Josh Masters, a prominent gang member was shot by a member of the Tribesmen at a Harley Davidson dealership in Mount Wellington, Auckland. It was an extremely unusual event as both the Killer Beez and Tribesmen were very close gangs that were in a very strong alliance considering the Killer Beez was founded by the Tribesmen as a feeder gang for the Tribesmen.^{[28] [29]}
• In May 2022, conflicts between the Tribesmen and Killer Beez led to shootings in South Auckland. Seven shootings occurred in the suburbs of Ōtara, Papatoetoe, Flat Bush, Papakura, Te Atatū South,^[30] Henderson and Mt Albert on the night of the 24th, with two more on the 25th.^{[31] [32]} A week later, on the night of 3 June, another Beach Haven house belonging to a Tribesmen gang member was shot at.^[33]
• On May 5th, 2024 Robert Sidney Horne was shot dead in Ponsonby by Killer Beez member Hone Kay-Selwyn. Hone Kay-Selwyn was later found dead in Taupo on May 8th 2024

See also

• Gangs in New Zealand
• Black Power (New Zealand)
• Mongrel Mob
• King Cobras (gang)

Notes and References

1. News: Long-standing Killer Beez and Tribesmen gang rivalry blamed for crime in Auckland, Far North. Radio New Zealand. 26 May 2022. Katie. Todd. Rayssa. Almeida.
2. News: Bradley. Michael. Killer Beez diss stings Dawn Raid. Stuff News. 31 January 2009.
3. News: Smith. Lawrence. Gang boss badly beaten in prison. 30 January 2018. Stuff NZ News. 31 January 2009.
4. News: Johnston. Kirsty. LA-style gangs fuel problems in NZ prisons. 30 January 2018. Stuff News. 9 June 2013.
5. News: Smith. Ray. Private Business, Public Failure - Inside our Prisons. 22 February 2017. Stuff NZ News.
6. News: Bradley. Michael. Rapper Young Sid. 30 January 2018. Stuff NZ News. Sunday Star Times. 31 January 2009.
7. News: Fox. Michael. Killer Beez boss on the run. 30 January 2018. Stuff NZ News. 7 October 2011.
8. News: Police on alert ahead of Killer Beez gang member funeral in Waihi. 30 January 2018. Stuff NZ News. 9 November 2017.
9. News: Dennett. Kelly. Killer Beez member shot after jail release. 30 January 2018. Weekend Herald. 13 January 2018.
10. News: Ponsonby fatal shooting: Suspect Hone Kay-Selwyn found dead near Taupō, victim had no links to Killer Beez shooter. 8 May 2024. The New Zealand Herald. 8 May 2024.
11. Web site: COLOURWAY RECORDS LIMITED (1903535) Removed. www.companiesoffice.govt.nz. 2 February 2017.
12. Web site: New Zealand Parliament - Crimes Amendment Bill, Local Government Amendment Bill, Sentencing Amendment Bill (No 3) — Third Readings. 2011. I ask members to consider a gang called the Killer Beez. It has its own hip-hop record label called Colourway Records. What does it do? It makes music videos—recruitment advertisements for gangs, thinly disguised as music videos, that are played on mainstream. parliament.nz. 8 October 2011.
13. News: 44 in dock after drug raids. nzherald.co.nz. 2011. During the operation, police seized $200,000 in cash, 538g of pure methamphetamine with a street value of more than $500,000, nearly 400g of cannabis, 15 vehicles under the Proceeds of Crimes Act, 12 firearms and all the assets from the business premises of Colourway Records in Ōtara.. 8 October 2011.
14. News: Top Kiwi rapper works 9 to 5 to pay the bills. 20 February 2017. Stuff NZ – Sunday News. 17 January 2009.
15. News: Killer Beez a 'school for gangstas'. 20 February 2017. Stuff NZ News. 13 September 2009.
16. News: Out in force on the mean streets . New Zealand Herald . But in 2008 police smashed both gangs wide open with a six-month cannabis and methamphetamine sting operation that arrested 60 Killer Beez members and put many of the gang's leaders in jail. 8 October 2011 . Andrew . Laxon . 2 July 2011.
17. News: Police bugs track 110,000 gang messages . New Zealand Herald. 10 February 2010. Police intercepted more than 110,000 phone and text messages between the Killer Beez and Tribesmen gang members during a major three-month drug operation in South Auckland and the Waikato . 8 October 2011 . Tony . Stickley.
18. News: Gang boss badly beaten in prison . Stuff NZ News . 2011 . 8 October 2011.
19. News: Killer Beez boss seeks to have guilty plea revoked . Edward . Gay . The New Zealand Herald . 28 September 2011 . 8 October 2011.
20. News: Josh Masters runs Killer Beez gang from prison . Stuff NZ News . 2015 . 11 August 2015.
21. News: Smith. Lawrence. Gang boss badly beaten in prison. 22 February 2017. Stuff NZ – Sunday News. 22 November 2008.
22. News: Cowlishaw. Shane. Killer Beez president Josh Masters allegedly running gang from behind bars. 20 February 2017. Stuff NZ News. 23 August 2016.
23. News: Killer Beez gang founder jailed for more than 10 years . The New Zealand Herald . 3 August 2012. 2 October 2012.
24. News: Field. Michael. Hendrix Hauwai jailed for attack on good samaritan. 20 February 2017. Stuff NZ News. 9 February 2015.
25. News: Leask. Anna. Six, not three guards injured in Paremoremo prison attack. 22 February 2017. News Talk ZB. 21 October 2016.
26. News: Dennett. Kelly. Homicide victim released from prison just months before death. 30 January 2018. The New Zealand Herald. 13 January 2018.
27. News: Harris. Sarah. 'There was too much blood': Drive-by shooting victim recounts horror. 4 February 2018. The New Zealand Herald. 6 October 2017.
28. News: Man critically wounded at Auckland Harley Davidson store believed to be Killer Beez gang president. TVNZ. 2020-04-20. en-NZ.
29. News: Gang expert: Concern as tension rises between Killer Beez and Tribesmen. 2019-04-28. NZ Herald. 2020-04-20. en-NZ. 1170-0777.
30. News: Khabazi . Marika . Truebridge . Nick . Police scramble to calm tensions after Auckland gang shootings . RNZ . 25 May 2022 . en-nz.
31. News: 2022-05-25 . Auckland shootings: Gang-related attacks 'shocking' - Phil Goff . 2022-05-26 . RNZ . en-nz.
32. News: 2022-05-26 . Auckland shootings: Police investigate shots fired in two suburbs . 2022-05-26 . RNZ . en-nz.
33. News: Auckland house shot at belongs to Tribesmen gang members - neighbour . 2022-09-04 . 1 News . en.