As the Football cans and community gear up for the upcoming and much anticipated Women’s FIFA World Cup in New Zealand, a tragic shootout in the capital city of Auckland leaves two people dead just a day prior to the opening match of the premier event between the co-hosts and Norway on 20th July.
According to the earliest reports, Police responded to reports a man had fired shots in a building in downtown Auckland, which is shockingly just two miles from the iconic Eden Park Stadium, the venue for the opening match of the World Cup between New Zealand and Norway. The incident has raised concerns regarding the security arrangements ahead of the grand sporting event as several international football teams were gathering in New Zealand for the Women’s World Cup.
However, New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins assured that security is one of the top priorities of the nation for the World Cup and that there will be no slips in security during the tournament. In the aftermath of the tragic event, Hipkins had a meeting with FIFA President Gianni Infantino and later confirmed that the World Cup will go ahead as planned.
It has been reported that two locals were killed during the shootout and around 6 people have been injured including a police officer. The official was walked to safety and provided medical aid with assistance from colleagues. The male gunman was killed in the encounter and the police said the situation had been contained to a single building that was under construction in lower Queen Street, urging people to avoid the area for the time being.
The Police and locals recounted that the offender, whose identity has not yet been disclosed, moved through the under-construction building site and continued firing at the people. He contained himself within the elevator shaft upon reaching the upper levels of the building as the police personnel attempted to engage with him. In the further firing that ensued, the offender was shot down a short time later. The site of the event has been cut off from civilian access till further investigation of the matter. Any further updates regarding the event will be shared by the police with the media later.
