Gunman kills two in Auckland hours before Women’s World Cup opening ceremony | CNN

Auckland, New Zealand
CNN
—

A rare multiple shooting in downtown Auckland just hours before the opening of the Women’s World Cup has made security officials nervous as tens of thousands gather in the city to watch New Zealand play Norway in the tournament’s opener.

New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins outlined details of the attack at a hastily called news conference, confirming that three people had been killed, including the attacker, and several others injured.

Emergency services responded to the city’s central business district shortly after 7 a.m. local time Thursday, following reports that a man armed with a shotgun had opened fire at a construction site, it said.

“He moved around the construction site discharging the firearm as he went,” Hipkins said. “Upon reaching the upper levels of the building, the man restrained himself in an elevator. There were shots and he was located a short time later ”.

Hipkins said the actions of the officers who “ran into the gunshots, straight into danger to save the lives of others” were “nothing short of heroic.”

New Zealand Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said an officer was shot as he tried to confront the gunman, and four civilians had “moderate to critical injuries”.

Coster said the suspect was under house arrest but had a waiver to work at the construction site where the shooting occurred, and the incident was believed to be related to his work there.

The man had a “history of family violence” but there was “nothing to suggest that he presented a high level of risk,” Coster said. He did not have a firearms license, Coster added.

New Zealand police said the shooting did not pose a national security risk as authorities confirmed the Women’s World Cup opening ceremony and first match would go ahead as planned.

Auckland’s central business district is the commercial heart of the city, a base for top international brands and the gateway to the famous harbour, which is lined with restaurants and bars and is home to the main ferry terminal.

Shootings are relatively rare in New Zealand, especially after the introduction of strict gun laws in 2019 after a mass shooting in Christchurch left 50 dead.

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown told New Zealand public radio RNZ the shooting was “a terrible thing that happened in our city at a time when the rest of the world is watching us over football.”

New Zealand will take on Norway at Eden Park in the opening match on Thursday at one of the world’s biggest sporting events, co-hosted by New Zealand and neighboring Australia.

Tourism New Zealand canceled a welcome event because the venue falls within the area cordoned off by police while they investigate the shooting.

Looking over the cordon, Nisha, an American tourist who had traveled to Auckland to watch the World Cup, described the shooting to CNN as “incredibly tragic… especially at the start of the World Cup, there are so many people coming in, there is so much excitement.”

Nisha, who declined to publish her last name, said the news of the shooting surprised her.

“In places like New Zealand, you just assume a level of safety, right?” she said.

Standing on the edge of the curb on Quay Street, a block from the ferry dock, Seth Kruger, 21, originally from South Africa, expressed shock at the shooting.

“I think it’s a pretty rare thing in New Zealand,” he said. “By moving here, one moves here for security reasons. It’s pretty weird for this to happen right on the drive home too.”

Kruger and his friend David Aguillon were scheduled to work on The Cloud, a multi-use event space in Queen’s Wharf along Auckland’s waterfront, which hosts the FIFA Fan Festival during the World Cup.

However, with police continuing to cordon off several key streets, Aguillon said they had not been able to reach the venue and it was unclear if the Fan Festival would be open in time for Monday’s opener.

In a statement, US Soccer said it “extends its deepest condolences to the families of the victims who were killed in downtown Auckland today.”

In a statement, New Zealand Football said it was “shocked” by the incident. “We can confirm that all Football Ferns team and staff are safe, but we will not be able to comment further while details still emerge,” a statement said. “Preparations for tonight’s game at Eden Park will continue as planned.”