Police said yesterday emergency services were called after a man was wounded during the firearms incident in Mavora Cres, Heidelberg, on Sunday night.
The victim was taken to Southland Hospital in a critical condition.
A neighbour, who asked not to be identified, yesterday said they were in their living room just before midnight when they heard a gunshot.
"I heard a big pop then probably 10 seconds later I heard two or three more," the neighbour said.
"I could hear someone, a male voice, screaming, ‘leave me alone’.
"There was a lot of yelling."
The neighbour then saw a couple of people dressed in black, with their faces covered, at the property and a couple of "boys running around" with guns.
The group left the scene in a car but did not seem to be in a rush.
Police had been to the property in the past, the neighbour said.
"It is pretty messed up to have something like this happening so close to your home."
Police said in a statement they were making inquiries and would like to hear from anyone who might have helpful information.
A police spokeswoman could not say if the incident was gang-related, confirm the victim’s condition, or if any arrests had been made.
Last December, a 48-year-old Invercargill woman died after being assaulted at a property in the same street.
A 51-year-old man, known to the victim, was arrested and charged with murder.
