Two people were killed when a shooter opened fire in Auckland, New Zealand, just hours before the opening ceremony of the Women’s World Cup.
Two people were killed and many others were injured when a shooter opened fire on a building site in Auckland’s business district shortly after 7 a.m. on Thursday. At the scene, the gunman was also declared dead.
Three persons were seriously injured, according to the city’s ambulance service, while three others had minor injuries.
The Women’s World Cup is set to begin at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand, at 7 p.m. local time on Thursday.
The incident happened at about 7.22 am local time (8.22 pm Wednesday UK time), in the FIFA fan zone in Auckland’s business district, around Queen Street and Quay Street. The shooter stormed a building site packed with construction workers. According to police, the offender moved on through the building while firing his handgun and was found dead a short time later.
The police have informed the public that the situation has been contained and is an isolated incident. They stated that the incident is not a national security risk.
Auckland mayor Wayne Brown told TV network TVNZ: “This dreadful situation couldn’t have come at a worse time when the world has its eyes on us. It’s dreadful, particularly since we have never had an incident like this before.
“I understand the shooter is dead but no one is absolutely sure about that. It’s very scary.”