Three dead in a shooting in New Zealand a few hours before the start of the Women’s World Cup

2023-07-20 08:42:35

At least three people have died, including the attacker, and another six have been injured this Thursday morning (local time) by a shooting in the financial district of the city of Auckland, in the north of New Zealand. The attack occurred hours before the local team made its debut in the Women’s World Cup in the same city. The Spanish team will do it tomorrow in the city of Wellington, more than 600 kilometers from Auckland.

The 24-year-old shooter, whose identity has not yet been released, entered a downtown building early and began shooting, killing two people and wounding six others. Among the seriously injured is a policeman who is stable.

Little is known about the reason for the attack, although the authorities separate it from the World Cup and do not consider it to be politically or ideologically motivated. The author was an old police acquaintance and apparently had a history of family violence and mental health problems. According to local authorities, the young man was subject to house arrest, although he had permission to work in that building. He, on the other hand, did not have a license to possess a firearm.

Commissioner Coster, the police officer, assured that the agents quickly cornered the shooter in the elevator shaft, where he entrenched himself. «The attacker fired at the police, wounding an officer. Shots were exchanged and the attacker was later found dead,” he claimed.

Local authorities have appealed to the population to avoid the scene of the event. New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has canceled his agenda and has guaranteed that “there is no national security risk.” Hipkins was shocked by the event, unusual in the country, and guaranteed that the World Cup co-organized with Australia will take place as planned. “The government has spoken with the FIFA organizers and the tournament will continue,” he assured.

Near the scene of the events, the teams of Norway and the United States were concentrated. The Europeans woke up instantly when they heard the shots: “At first we didn’t know what was happening, but then we saw the news on television and in the local media,” explained their captain Maren Mjelde, who downplays the matter: “We feel safe at all times. Everyone seems calm and we prepare as normal for tonight’s game », she concluded.

The massacre at the Christchurch mosque in New Zealand in 2019 marked a turning point in the country. The government tightened the laws on gun possession after registering 51 dead and 40 wounded that day.