A gunman allegedly killed two in Auckland, New Zealand, as thousands gathered ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the BBC reported Thursday.
Shots from the alleged gunman’s pump-action shotgun rang out from a construction site in the city’s central business district, according to the BBC.
Six people, police officers included, sustained injuries, the outlet reported. The suspected gunman, construction worker Matu Tangi Matua Reid, died amid the attack. Reid’s history included mental health issues and family violence. Ordered to home detention, he worked at the site with an exemption.
The FIFA Women’s World Cup kicks off in Auckland on Thursday evening under the shadow of a shooting in New Zealand’s largest city that left 3 people dead and 5 injured https://t.co/oCThXHkOIn pic.twitter.com/LqJ3hmOL3g
— Bloomberg TV (@BloombergTV) July 20, 2023
In a televised address, New Zealand’s Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said the attack failed to pose a “national security risk” due to the lack of an “identified political or ideological motivation,” according to Reuters.
FIFA emphasized “participating teams in close proximity to this incident are being supported in relation to any impact that may have taken place,” the outlet reported.
Grant Robertson, New Zealand’s Sports Minister, announced a beefed up police presence in the aftermath of the attack, according to the BBC. (RELATED: 2023 Women’s World Cup Sells Over 1 Million Tickets, On Pace To Be Most Attended Female Sporting Event Ever)
The opening match proceeded as scheduled, with New Zealand defeating Norway 1-0 to gain their first World Cup victory, Reuters reported.