New Zealand shooting: gunman kills two in Auckland hours before World Cup opening

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Two people have been killed and six injured after a shooting in Auckland city centre on Thursday morning, hours before the Women’s World Cup was due to kick off there.

New Zealand prime minister Chris Hipkins said the gunman was also dead and that there was no national security risk or rise in the national threat level. Visiting the scene on Thursday afternoon, he confirmed that that the World Cup would proceed as planned and that people should feel safe to attend the matches.

He described the shooting as a “standalone incident”, but fans would see an enhanced police presences in and around sports venues.

The shooting began at a building site on Queen Street, Auckland’s main thoroughfare, at about 7.20am, when police received reports of gunfire.

Police said the gunman, armed with a pump-action shotgun, moved through the building site discharging the weapon and, after reaching the upper levels, “contained himself within the elevator shaft”.

“Further shots were fired from the male and he was located deceased a short time later,” police said.

A police officer was shot and injured by the gunman during an exchange of fire in lift well but is in a stable condition and is due to have surgery. The rest of those hurt received moderate to serious injuries in the shooting, according to police.

Police have not formally identified the gunman but believe him to be a 24-year-old man who was working at the site and had a history of family violence. He was the subject of a home detention order but had an exemption to work at the site, New Zealand police commissioner Andrew Coster said.

“The individual is known for primarily family violence history,” he said, adding that there were “indications of mental health history” but that there was no evidence he was of high lethal risk and that his previous offences did not suggest he posed this kind of threat. He did not have a firearms licence.

Hipkins said authorities were investigating how the gunman acquired a firearm and whether his behaviour suggested any red flags before the shooting. The Department of Corrections is reviewing its interactions with the offender.

The incident came just hours ahead of the opening match of the ninth Women’s World Cup at Eden Park in Auckland later on Thursday. The city has welcomed thousands of international players and tourists fo the event which is being co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

In the two opening matches on Thursday, Norway plays New Zealand in Auckland while Australia faces Ireland in Sydney.

Hipkins said he had spoken to Fifa organisers and the tournament would proceed as planned. Police assured the public that there was no ongoing risk and no reason the tournament should not proceed.

Fifa issued a statement saying that it had been informed the incident was not related to football operations, so the opening match could “proceed as planned.”

Several streets in Auckland were cordoned off, all ferry services into the city cancelled while buses running through some areas of the city were detoured.

The shooting took place near the Norwegian team hotel in downtown Auckland, and several players took to social media to report they were safe.

Italy team’s training was delayed as players could not get out of their hotel, while the U.S. team said all its players and staff were accounted for and safe.

Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese, who is to visit Wellington next week, offered condolences to Mr Hipkins.

“I’ve been in contact with Chris this morning about that. And that is very sad indeed to see another dreadful shooting with fatalities here in New Zealand,” he said.

Auckland mayor Wayne Brown told TVNZ the attack was “dreadful”.

“It couldn’t have come at a worse time given the world has its eyes on us now with the FIFA soccer thing,” he said.

Gun violence is rare in New Zealand, which tightened its gun laws after a gunman killed 51 Muslim worshippers in Christchurch in 2019 in the country’s worst peacetime mass shooting. The government has banned all military style semi-automatics and other deadly guns.

With Reuters and AAP