At least two people were killed and several others injured after a gunman stormed a building under construction in the New Zealand city of Auckland early Thursday, police said, hours before the first soccer match of the Women’s World Cup was due to start nearby.
A male gunman was also killed, police said In a post on Twitter. It was not immediately clear if police counted the gunman in the total death toll.
New Zealand police began receiving reports of a man firing a gun at a construction site around 7:20 a.m. local time, police spokeswoman Anna Thompson said in an email.
Passersby and commuters heard gunshots during rush hour. Armed police officers and vehicles cordoned off the area and authorities sealed off part of the city.
The incident occurred as the New Zealand and Norway teams were preparing to play at Eden Park Stadium, about three miles from where the shooting took place. Several World Cup teams and many fans are staying in Auckland’s central business district and the shooting is said to have happened very close to the team’s Norwegian hotel.
The United States team, which will play its first match here against Vietnam in two days, is also staying in the region.
“In regards to the incident in downtown Oakland, all of our USWNT players and staff have been accounted for and are safe,” US Soccer said in a statement, citing the United States Women’s National Team acronym. “Our security team is communicating with local authorities and we are continuing with our daily schedule.”
The shooting took place in a busy downtown area packed with office buildings and hotels across the street from the ferry terminal on the city’s waterfront.
An armed man entered a high-rise on lower Queen Street and went from floor to floor while shooting, police said.
Within minutes, hundreds of police officers carrying automatic weapons descended on the scene of the shooting, warning people to take cover and sending them out of the area. Streets were closed in a two-block area and a police helicopter hovered overhead.
“After reaching the upper levels of the building, the male positioned himself in the elevator shaft and our personnel attempted to engage him,” police said. “More shots were fired from the male and he died a short time later.”
A motive for the shooting and other details were not immediately available.
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown said A post on Twitter: “This is the dreaded situation for Aucklanders going to work on their Thursday morning. Please stay at home, avoid traveling to city center.
