By Victor Kanayo
There was an uneasy calm at Auckland on Thursday morning, as an attack at the New Zealand’s largest City left at least two people dead and five people injured after shooting, ahead of the opening match of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
According to reports, the armed attacker was equally killed.
Reuters quoting the Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, said the soccer tournament would proceed as planned, adding the shooting appeared to be the actions of an individual and that police were not seeking anyone else in relation to the incident.
“There was no identified political or ideological motivation for the shooting and therefore no national security risk,” Hipkins said during a televised media briefing.
There would be no change to New Zealand’s security threat level, although there would be an increased police presence in the city, he said.
Auckland has welcomed thousands of international players and tourists for the ninth Women’s World Cup which is being co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
The gunman has not been formally identified, but is believed to be a 24-year-old male who was employed at the construction site where the shooting occurred, Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said at a news conference.
He was armed with a pump-action shot gun and moved through a building site shooting. After reaching the upper levels he contained himself within an elevator shaft and fired more shots before being found dead a short time later.
An officer was injured in the shooting, as well as four members of the public.
The gunman was the subject of a sentence of home detention but had an exemption to work at the site.
In the two opening World Cup matches on Thursday, Norway plays New Zealand in Auckland while Australia faces Ireland in Sydney.
