At least six people were injured in a stabbing attack in an Auckland supermarket in New Zealand.
Of the six wounded people, three are in a critical condition and one is in a serious condition, health authorities said.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern described the incident as a “terrorist attack.”
On the other hand, police identified the attacker as a Sri Lankan national who was under police surveillance for supporting the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group.
Thus, police forces shot dead the suspect following the attack.
“What happened today was despicable, it was hateful it was wrong,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said in a news conference.
“It was carried out by an individual, not a faith.”
For his part, the mayor of Auckland, Phil Goff, said that “the hospital staff are doing everything they can to preserve their lives.”
“We’re all horrified. But… justice came pretty swiftly for the offender,” he added.
The Attack Details
It took place at the Countdown supermarket at LynnMall in the district of New Lynn on Friday afternoon.
The attacker took a large knife from a display cabinet in the store and went on a stabbing spree. However, police surveillance teams had been close by the entire time.
One witness told news outlet Stuff NZ that the supermarket was a scene of hysteria.
Meanwhile, footage shared online showed people fleeing before the sound of gun shots.
“[People were] running out, hysterically, just screaming, yelling, scared,” the witness said, adding that he saw an elderly man lying on the ground with a stab wound.
