STORY: At least two people were killed as well as an armed attacker in a shootout in Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, early Thursday.
The violence came hours before the city was due to host the opening match of the women’s soccer World Cup.
Police say the gunman arrived at a construction site with a pump-action shotgun…
and moved through it floor-to-floor, firing as he went.
When he reached the upper levels, he contained himself within an elevator shaft, further shots were fired, and he was later found dead.
A witness described panic as events unfolded.
“We were right at the entrance and I saw like 20 people rushing out of the building and telling the pedestrians to move away and I was like what happened? And I go ask them and they say, they say like ‘We saw a guy with a shotgun in his hand and he was aiming for people.”
Local TV news captured the moment an injured police officer was escorted onto an ambulance.
He’s among a number of people who were wounded in the incident.
The shooting took place near hotels where soccer teams are staying for the FIFA Women’s World Cup tournament, which kicks off Thursday evening at Eden Park.
New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said there’ll be increased police presence.
However, he ruled out cancelling the matches altogether.
“I want to reiterate that there is no wider national security threat. This appears to be the actions of one individual. Auckland, Aucklanders and those watching around the world can be assured that the police have neutralised the threat and that they are not seeking anybody else in relation to the incident.”
He added police haven’t been able to identify any ideological or political reasons for the shooter’s actions.
Gun violence is rare in New Zealand.
The country saw its worst peace-time mass shooting in 2019, when a shooter, a suspected white supremacist, killed 51 Muslim worshippers in Christchurch.
The government responded then with swift gun reform.
All military style semi-automatics were banned and a gun registry was launched last month.