A gunman opened fire in Auckland, New Zealand, resulting in the death of two people just before the Women’s World Cup was set to begin.
Two people were killed and multiple others injured when a gunman opened fire in Auckland’s business district. The shooter was also pronounced dead.
Three people were seriously injured and three others sustained minor injuries, according to the city’s ambulance service.
The Women’s World Cup is set to kick off in New Zealand with co-hosts opening the tournament at 7pm local time at Eden Park.
The incident occurred at around 7.22am local time (8.22pm on Wednesday UK time), close to the FIFA fan zone around the Queen Street and Quay Street area of Auckland’s business district. The shooter stormed a building site that was full of construction workers. Police say the offender moved through the building while discharging his firearm, and was found dead a short time later.
The incident has been contained and is not a national security risk, according to the force.
Auckland mayor Wayne Brown told TV network TVNZ: “This dreadful situation couldn’t have come at a worse time when the world has its eyes on us. It’s dreadful, particularly since we have never had an incident like this before.
“I understand the shooter is dead but no one is absolutely sure about that. It’s very scary.”
The USWNT team is safely located in Auckland, according to a team spokesperson.
The incident comes hours before New Zealand kick off the tournament in the city against Norway at Eden Park, about a 20-minute train ride from the scene of the shooting.
World of sports 
Leave a comment