By Jeroen van Barneveld
Jul 20, 2023 at 03:03Update: 6 minutes ago
New Zealand was shocked by a deadly shooting on the first day of the Women’s World Cup. A man shot dead two people in Auckland on Thursday, about twelve hours before the kick-off of the tournament in that city. The shooter also died.
Five other people were injured, three of them seriously. Police officers are among the injured.
New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said the shooting was an isolated incident and has no terrorist, political or ideological motive. The World Cup will therefore continue as planned, he added at a press conference. New Zealand and Australia will host the Women’s World Cup until August 20.
The shooting occurred at 7:22 a.m. local time at a construction site in the business district of Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city. A man with a shotgun stormed a building where dozens of construction workers were working at the time.
According to police, the man shot around and killed two people. Shortly after a shootout with police, the gunman was found dead in an elevator shaft. Dozens of construction workers hid on the roof of the building.
The shooter is a 24-year-old man who was under house arrest due to domestic violence. According to the police, he was allowed to work on the construction site as an exception. According to The New Zealand Herald the man was wearing an ankle bracelet. The police said they had not received any signals that he posed a major risk to society.
Construction workers hid on the roof of the building. Photo: AP
Shooting near hotel by Norwegian and Filipino team
The shooting took place a few hundred meters from a fan square and the team hotel of the football players of Norway and the Philippines. Norway opens the World Cup against New Zealand on Thursday at 7 p.m. local time (9 a.m. in the Netherlands). That happens in Eden Park, the largest stadium in New Zealand.
The players of Norway woke up early in the morning to the sound of helicopters and emergency services sirens, captain Maren Mjelde said. “We didn’t know what was going on at first, but eventually updates came through TV and local media.”
According to Mjelde, the Norwegian team has always felt safe. “FIFA has arranged a good security system in the hotel and we also have our own security guard with us. We prepare for the match as we would otherwise.”
Auckland residents have been urged to stay home as public transport has come to a complete standstill due to roadblocks in the city centre. A festival for football fans has also been postponed until further notice.
The football players of the Philippines were escorted to the team bus. Photo: AP
The Dutch will not play in Auckland for the time being
The Dutch football players are currently staying in the New Zealand city of Tauranga, about a three-hour drive from Auckland. The Netherlands will not enter New Zealand’s largest city in the group stage.
The Orange squad will play its first World Cup match against Portugal in Dunedin on Sunday. After that, the team will respectively visit Wellington (next Thursday against the United States) and again Dunedin (against Vietnam on August 1).
“Today our thoughts are with the victims of the Auckland shooting,” the KNVB reported via Twitter. The United States Soccer Federation said in a statement “to be deeply saddened that gun violence has cost human lives”. Many American players have spoken out in the past for stricter gun laws in their own country.
FIFA also expressed its condolences to the families of the victims. In a statement, the World Football Association also said that President Gianni Infantino and Secretary-General Fatma Samoura have held emergency talks with New Zealand authorities regarding the World Cup.
“FIFA has been informed that this was an isolated incident unrelated to football activity here. Tonight’s opening game at Eden Park will therefore go ahead as planned.”
The scene of the shooting incident was secured by officers with weapons. Photo: EPA
2023-07-20 04:56:14
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