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Armed man in Auckland Stabbing spree

Author: Matt Travers

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There have been reports of multiple people being stabbed in a New Lynn supermarket in West Auckland, New Zealand this afternoon. The suspect was located and shot by armed police. Police say the culprit died at the scene after he injured six people, three of whom are in critical condition in hospital.

In a video uploaded to social media, people can be heard warning one another about ‘someone with a knife’ in the shopping centre. The scene is described as frantic with numerous people running out of the shopping centre trying to escape the crazed lunatic with their lives. 

New Zealand Prime minister Jacinda Ardren has condemned the attack committed by the man, saying it was a “terrorist attack by a violent extremist” who was known by authorities. The prime minister continued; “What happened today was despicable. It was hateful, it was wrong. It was carried out by an individual, not a faith, not a culture, not an ethnicity but an individual person who is gripped by ideology that is not supported here by anyone in the community”

At least one person suffered a stab wound, while there are reports that two people have been shot. One witness, a man named Tim, told reporters that he saw an elderly man lying on the ground with a stab wound to his abdomen, and a middle aged woman suffered a stab wound to her shoulder. Another witness, Brittney Denyer, said she was about to enter the shopping centre when police told her to evacuate immediately. “People were panicking and there was ambulances everywhere” There is currently no known motive behind the attack.

(Update 3:24pm)

The head of New Zealand’s police force says nearby tactical teams did all they could to curtail injuries from Friday’s stabbing terrorism attack at an Auckland supermarket, and intervened just 60 seconds after the incident began.

New Zealand police commissioner Coster said that there will be questions about whether New Zealand police could have intercepted the attacker before he injured anyone, he reassures the public that the special task force done all they could. 

The man travelled to his home in Glen Eden in Auckland's south-west to the nearby supermarket in New Lynn and unleashed the attack. The police commissioner also said the Sri-Lankin man was under 24/7 surveillance but said “The reality is that when you are surveilling someone on a 24/7 basis, it is not possible to be immediately next to them at all times,” Commissioner Coster said.”

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