New Zealand police said a gunman and two other people are dead after a shooting incident in downtown Auckland on Thursday.
“Police have contained a serious incident that unfolded at a construction site in Auckland’s CBD this morning,” Acting Superintendent Sunny Patel said in a statement. “Multiple injuries have been reported and at this stage we can confirm two people have died. The male offender is also deceased.”
The shooting comes just hours before Auckland will host the opening ceremony of the FIFA 2023 Women’s World Cup, with the first game between New Zealand and Norway scheduled for this evening local time. A number of teams, including the US squad, are reported to be staying in the area close to the incident, which is also close to a fan zone.
Patel said the man moved through the building site, firing shots, before containing himself in an elevator shaft.
“Further shots were fired from the male and he was located deceased a short time later,” Patel said, adding that the incident was not a national security risk.
Gun crime is relatively rare in New Zealand, though the nation was rocked by a massacre at two mosques in the South Island city of Christchurch in 2019 that left 51 people dead.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins changed his travel plans to remain in Wellington and stay updated on the unfolding incident.
