violence in New Zealand ahead of one of
the biggest sporting events in the world
the Women's World Cup police say a
gunman shot and killed two people in the
city center of Auckland at least six
others were injured including police
officers the attacker also died at the
scene New Zealand's prime minister says
there is no wider national security
threat he described how the shooting
unfolded the offender was armed with a
pump action shotgun
he moved through the building site
discharging the firearm as he went
upon reaching the upper levels of the
building the man contained himself in an
elevator
shots were fired and he was located a
short time later
I want to think the brave men and women
of the New Zealand Police who ran into
the gunfire
straight into Harm's Way in order to
save the lives of others
well the shooting happened on a
construction site in the central
business district of Auckland these
workers described what they saw I saw
like 20 people rushing out of the
building and telling the pedestrians to
move I was like what happened and I go
ask them to see they say like we saw a a
guy with a shotgun in his hand and he
was aiming for people well the cop cars
and
ambers and Firearm Sport and armed
Defenders
and um from where we were we were quite
a few gun shops
well as we have said uh this has been
going on in Auckland just ahead of the
kickoff of the Women's World Cup let's
go live there now to speak to tvnz
reporter Aziz Al safin what more can you
tell us about this incident
daughter Sally well it is just hitting 4
P.M here and while it seems to be quite
calm in front of the precinct
construction building at about 7 A.M it
was a very different story yeah at about
7 30 after hearing gunshots uh then they
went and made their way into this
building behind me the preset building
which is just under construction in what
is a busy hustling and bustling part of
Auckland City at just after 8 A.M five
more shots were heard in quick
succession now what we know and what
prime minister Chris Hopkins as you just
heard confirmed was that this man made
his way into the building behind me we
now also known that he was a
construction worker which is why he knew
the of the building he started firing on
level three of the building and then
proceeded to barricade himself into the
elevator at which point police tried to
gauge with the alleged Defender they
were unsuccessful and more shots were
fired a police officer was injured
critically injured with what I had in
the negotiation and then the shooter was
then found dead we know that the other
two were in fact civilians and we can
confirm now that in others have been
injured they were all taken to Auckland
City Hospital one of those people as I
just mentioned was that police officer
who suffered a gunshot wound he was in a
critical but now stable condition
um and as you mentioned you know this is
the day where it was meant to be a day
of celebrations the FIFA Women's World
Cup was kicking off and has still set to
go ahead at auckland's Eden Park with
New Zealand set to verse Norway
um if you can see behind me there is a
hotel that is where the Norway team was
staying they were woken up at about 7
A.M to gunshots and the police Eagle
helicopter and just a hundred meters
away from me to my right is where the
fan Zone was meant to take place we've
now just learned that that fan Zone has
been canceled for the day the tournament
is still set to go ahead
um and what should have been a day of
last happiness and celebration now
really has just turned into a day of
complete disbelief okay azizafin for now
thank you very much for the very latest
on that uh tvnz reporter at the scene
well as we said the shooting came hours
before the Women's World Cup is due to
begin New Zealand Sports Minister Grant
Robinson said the incident would not
affect the tournament there are a number
of teams as you'll be aware who were
staying in the immediate area they are
all safe and sound and as The Cordon
moves in they will go about the normal
business of today for them for some of
them that involves playing this evening
for others that involves moving to other
locations in New Zealand to play their
games so they will in the course of the
next few hours uh do what they were
always going to do go to training go to
play and so on
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