It was a “terrorist” attack that took place in a supermarket in an Auckland suburb. This was stated by the premier of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern. A man assaulted the mall’s customers, injuring six, before being killed by the police. Three of the stabbed are hospitalized in serious condition.
Ardern said the attacker was a person known to law enforcement and intelligence and was kept “under close surveillance”. He is an immigrant of Sri Lankan origins believed to be a supporter of the doctrines of ISIS. Arriving in New Zealand in 2011, the man radicalized in 2016 and was “constantly monitored” by the security forces because, according to Ardern, “by law we could not keep him in prison”. “What I can say – explained the premier – is that we used every legal and surveillance means at our disposal to try to protect people from this individual. Many agencies and people were involved and all were motivated by the same thing: to seek to protect people “.
The premier added that New Zealand will not raise the level of terrorism alert because it considers the action in Auckland an isolated case conducted by a solitary individual.