Two people are shot and killed in Auckland, New Zealand, hours before the first match of the women’s world cup

Early on Thursday morning, just hours before New Zealand was scheduled to host the first match of the FIFA Women’s World Cup event, a man rushed a high-rise building site in downtown Auckland and opened fire on the scared employees. Two people were killed in the process.

After a gunfight with the police, in which one officer was shot and injured, the shooter was discovered dead. Additionally hurt were four bystanders.

Team Norway and other soccer teams were staying at hotels close to the shooting scene.

The tournament will go as planned, according to Chris Hipkins, the prime minister of New Zealand.

There are obviously a lot of eyes on Auckland with the FIFA World Cup starting this evening, Hipkins said. The event will go on as scheduled after the government talked to FIFA organizers this morning.

“I want to reiterate that there is no wider national security threat,” he said. “This appears to be a single person’s action.”

New Zealand, where active shooter occurrences are uncommon, was shocked by the massacre, with major news websites and programs covering the story.

Hipkins noted that the guy had a shotgun, and that officers had rushed into danger to rescue lives after responding to the first emergency call.

The acts of people who risk their lives to rescue others are nothing less than heroic, according to Hipkins, who noted that these types of situations develop quickly.

The shooter, a 24-year-old who had previously worked at the construction site, seemed to have a purpose related to his employment there, according to Police Commissioner Andrew Coster.

The guy who was identified as the shooter had a history of domestic abuse and was incarcerated at home, but Coster said he was granted an exception to work at the lower Queen Street location.

Police flocked to the scene shortly after the gunshot, which started about 7:20 a.m.

According to Coster, the gunman walked around the incomplete structure shot at individuals while many employees ran away or took cover. The SWAT-style cops attacked him after securing the levels above and below after he barricaded himself in an elevator shaft on the third floor, according to Coster.

According to Coster, “the offender fired at police, wounding an officer.” “Shoots were fired, and the perpetrator was later discovered dead.”

Coster said that it was still unclear if the individual had been shot by police or had committed suicide. According to him, the alleged shooter shouldn’t have been in possession of a pistol since he lacked a weapons license.

A heavily guarded section in Auckland’s downtown was put under severe lockdown outside, with streets roped off around the busy harbor ferry terminal. Police warned those inside office buildings to hide in place and told onlookers to scatter.

As soccer players and supporters gathered in New Zealand for the FIFA Women’s World Cup, which the nation is co-hosting with Australia, the shooting took place. On Thursday night in Auckland, New Zealand and Norway are set to play their inaugural match. Hipkins said that he was debating going to the game as scheduled.

The aircraft started hovering outside the hotel window, according to Team Norway captain Maren Mjelde, who claimed that her companions were rudely awakened.

In a statement, she said, “We felt secure the whole time. “FIFA has a strong security system at the hotel, and our team has a dedicated security officer. We are preparing as usual for the game tonight, and everyone looks calm.

According to Team USA, all of its athletes and employees are secure and present. It said that the crew was in touch with the neighborhood’s authorities and carrying out its regular program.

In 2019, weeks after the country’s worst mass shooting, which saw a gunman murder 51 people at two mosques in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand outlawed the majority of semi-automatic guns. Following a buyback program, police received more than 50,000 prohibited guns from gun owners.

The shotgun used in the shooting on Thursday, according to Coster, is not on the list of prohibited firearms.

“I want to acknowledge that this has been a shocking and traumatic event for those people who came to work and found themselves in the middle of an armed emergency,” said Coster. Fortunately, a lot of people managed to get out of the building, but I’m sure it must have been scary for those who hid or stayed inside.

The cop who was shot, according to Coster, was transferred to a neighboring hospital in serious condition, where he was later stabilized and was scheduled to have surgery on Thursday. He said that the other victims had moderate to life-threatening injuries. It was unclear right away if everyone hurt had been shot.

A higher level of security would be present at Eden Park, the location of the FIFA tournament’s first game, according to officials there. They also advised ticket holders to come early.

A media welcome party that was scheduled for Thursday afternoon at a venue within the cordoned-off area has been canceled by Tourism New Zealand.