3 Children of Fugitive Father Shot Dead by Police Are ‘Doing Well,’ Authorities Say

The three children of a fugitive father in New Zealand, who was killed in a police shootout this week after spending almost four years on the run, are “doing well” given the circumstances, authorities have confirmed.

Tom Phillips disappeared with his children, Jayda, 12, Maverick, 10, and Ember, 9, after an alleged dispute with their mother back in 2021, PEOPLE previously reported. 

He’d been on the run since December of that year and is believed to have been hiding in the wilderness. New Zealand Police confirmed he’d been fatally shot in the early hours of the morning on Monday, Sept. 8, in Waikato — in the country’s upper North Island — following a suspected burglary in the small town of Piopio.

Police confirmed on Monday that the two remaining children had been discovered “unharmed” following the incident, and were “now safe,” per a news release. Phillips’ third child had been with him at the time of the shooting and was already in police custody.

In a further update on Tuesday, Sept. 9, Acting Deputy Commissioner Jill Rogers confirmed the siblings had been reunited and were in the care of the Oranga Tamariki (Ministry for Children).

In a statement obtained by PEOPLE, the government department revealed how the children were doing following years of hiding in the wilderness.

Warwick Morehu, Oranga Tamariki and Whānau Services Regional Commissioner Waikato and Bay of Plenty, said on Tuesday, “I want to assure the community here in the Waikato, and also the wider public of New Zealand, that my team here in this region have been planning and preparing for the return of these children from when they went missing.”

“I can confirm the children had a settled night, they are doing well under the circumstances and engaging with the staff supporting them,” he shared.

“Going forward, I have an experienced and dedicated team of staff assigned to this, they are prepped and ready to respond to whatever needs these children might have,” Morehu added in the statement.

“We are joined up with our partner agencies across the children’s system to respond to those needs,” he said. “We have clinical professionals who’ve put their hands up to assist if required. I want to assure you that these children will be provided with whatever help or assistance they may need, for however long they may need it.”

Morehu continued, “These are young children, and this has been an unprecedented set of circumstances. Everyone is doing their best to ensure we can return them to some of form of a normal daily life.” 

“We don’t know exactly what that looks like yet, or how long that may take, we will be guided by the needs of these children,” he said in the statement, asking for privacy for the children despite the “huge public interest” in the case.

The comments came as New Zealand Police released images on Tuesday showing a campsite set up in Waitomo, which is believed to be where Phillips and his children had been staying before he was fatally shot. The camp was just over a mile from where the shootout, which also saw an officer get seriously injured, occurred.

A quad bike, tyres, and what appeared to be cans of soda can be seen in the photos.

“Three firearms, including the weapon used by Phillips, have been recovered from the scene of the shooting. Several firearms have been located from the area where Phillips was camping, and further details will be shared when they become available,” police said in Tuesday’s release.

“The body of Tom Phillips was removed from the scene late yesterday and there will be a [post-mortem] tomorrow, after which his body will be released to his family,” Acting Deputy Commissioner Jill Rogers confirmed, per the post.

“Investigation staff are going over the areas where the family had been staying, and have been speaking with farmers, locals, and workers in the area. That work is to help us build an accurate picture of the movements of Tom Phillips and the children,” Rogers added.

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She said that the three children had been described by staff as “engaged,” adding, “They readily spoke with our staff, who provided them with snacks and drinks while they waited to be brought out of the [campsite].”

While speaking to Radio New Zealand‘s (RNZ) Mata podcast, the children’s mother, Cat, said, “[The children] have been dearly missed every day for nearly four years, and we are looking forward to welcoming them home with love and care.”