A man gunned down in an incident at a rural Kawhia home had been deported back to New Zealand after he stabbed an inmate behind bars.

Faalili Moleli Fauatea, 23, was today named by police as the man shot dead during an incident at a Harbour Rd, Hauturu property, about 4am on Thursday.

Fauatea was one of four men in a car at the property.

The group, including three other injured men, ended up driving to the home of the settlement's school principal asking for help.

A local 37-year-old man has since been arrested and charged after being found in possession of a military weapon recently banned by the Government after the Christchurch shootings.

He also faces a charge of possession of methamphetamine for supply.

He was remanded in custody without plea to reappear in the Te Awamutu District Court later this month.

Fauatea's three associates are recovering in Waikato Hospital from gunshot wounds. They have since been charged with aggravated burglary.

Fauatea punched another inmate in the head and stabbed him twice in the chest during an incident at a Melbourne prison in April 2017, the Geelong Advertiser newspaper reported.

He was already serving a sentence and had an extra four months jail added to his term by the sentencing magistrate.

Police said the incident was captured on CCTV and the victim suffered two stab wounds to the upper and lower chest, a cut to the back of the head and facial injuries.

The court was told Fauatea, then aged 21, conceded he had an "extremely violent" history. However he did not want to continue with that lifestyle any more.

Fauatea was due to be deported back to New Zealand in November of that year.