Police ordered bystanders to disperse and told people inside office buildings to shelter in place. The shooting happened near hotels where soccer teams have been staying ahead of the opening of the Women’s World Cup, which New Zealand is jointly hosting with Australia.Īrmed police officers placed an area in Auckland’s downtown on heavy lockdown, with streets cordoned off surrounding the harbor ferry terminal, which is popular with tourists. “These kinds of situations move fast, and the actions of those who risk their lives to save others are nothing short of heroic,” Hipkins said. Hipkins praised police for arriving within minutes of the first emergency call. He said the man didn’t have a gun license and so shouldn’t have been in possession of a firearm, though the shotgun used is not on a list of banned weapons. “Shots were exchanged and the offender was later found deceased.”Ĭoster said it wasn’t yet clear whether police had shot the man or he had killed himself. “The offender fired at police, injuring an officer,” Coster said. New Zealand police are responding to reports that a gunman has fired shots in a building in downtown Auckland.
The man then barricaded himself in an elevator shaft, and a SWAT-type team moved in.Īrmed New Zealand police officer stand at a road block in the central business district following a shooting in Auckland, New Zealand, Thursday, July 20, 2023. The shooting began early in the morning, as the man, armed with a shotgun, moved through the unfinished building, firing at people as many fled or hid, Coster said. He said the man’s motive appeared to be connected to that work. Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said the gunman was a 24-year-old who had a history of family violence and was serving a sentence of home detention but had previously worked at the building site and had an exemption to do so.
“This appears to be the action of one individual.”
“I want to reiterate that there is no wider national security threat,” said Hipkins. A large crowd, including the prime minister, still showed up at the stadium, and a moment of silence was held for the victims of the shooting, which also left a police officer and four civilians injured. New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said the shooting was an isolated act, and the FIFA tournament opened as scheduled with a game between the home team and Norway, though with tighter security and many jarred in a country where such attacks are rare. The man was found dead, and authorities said his motive appeared to be connected to his previous work at the site. AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) - A gunman opened fire on terrified workers on a construction site in downtown Auckland early Thursday, killing two people hours before New Zealand hosted the first game of the Women’s World Cup.
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