Gunman kills two people at former job near Women's World Cup team hotel
A gunman who killed two people after storming a construction site near the Women's World Cup team in a hotel in Auckland, New Zealand has a history of family violence, police said today.
Police raced to the scene at about 7.20am local time after the gunman started firing at people before barricading himself in a lift shaft.
The 24-year-old gunman had previously worked at the building site, and the motivation for the shooting appeared connected to his work there, Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said today.
Workers said they began moving down the building's stairs when an armed man in a dark jacket came up and shouted for them to get up to the roof or he'd shoot them.
Armed New Zealand police officers stand outside a hotel housing a team from the FIFA Women's World Cup (AP)The worker, who did not want to be named, went up to the roof and then hid on another floor of the building with a colleague before reaching the top of the tower. I'm shaken," the man said, who heard multiple gunshots while inside the building.
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The police came "very fast" and they were evacuated from the building, he said about 180 people worked on the site and he didn't know anyone who had been injured.
A police officer looks on the site of a shooting in central Auckland (AFP via Getty Images)A worker who was inside the building when the gunman entered said: "He looked like he was looking for someone."
Mr told media today that the gunman had a history of family violence and was serving a sentence of home detention but had an exemption to work at the lower Queen Street site, Mr Coster said.
The gunman began shooting and moved through the building firing at people as many workers fled or hid.
Police interview construction workers in the central business district following a shooting in Auckland (AP)The gunman then barricaded himself in an elevator shaft on the third floor, Mr Coster said, where Swat-type officers engaged him after securing the floors above and below.
"The offender fired at police, injuring an officer," Mr Coster said. "Shots were exchanged and the offender was later found deceased."
He said it was not yet clear if police had shot the gunman or he had killed himself. He said the gunman did not have a gun licence and so should not have been in possession of a weapon.
Police in the city centre have reportedly closed off a number of roads and are urging people to avoid the area after the shooting at around 7:20am local timeNew Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said the tournament would go ahead as scheduled.
He said: "Clearly with the Fifa World Cup kicking off this evening, there are a lot of eyes on Auckland.
"The government has spoken to Fifa organisers this morning and the tournament will proceed as planned.
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Police have cordoned off large areas of the CBD and are urging the public to avoid the area"I want to reiterate that there is no wider national security threat. This appears to be the action of one individual."
Mr Hipkins said the gunman was armed with a pump-action shotgun. Police arrived within minutes of the first emergency call and ran into harm's way to save lives.
"These kinds of situations move fast and the actions of those who risk their lives to save others are nothing short of heroic," Mr Hipkins said.
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