Heavy police presence in the Auckland CBD after fatal shooting. Photo: Supplied
Two people were killed and eight injured in a shooting in the Auckland CBD on Thursday morning.
Police Commissioner Andrew Coster has confirmed the offender, who has also died, was on home detention and had previous convictions. The gunman was Matu Tangi Matua Reid, 24.
Coster said the shooter was a worker at the construction site, and had an exemption from home detention to go to work.
At 7.22am police received multiple emergency calls about a person shooting a gun on the third floor of a building under construction on lower Queen Street. Coster said officers arrived on the scene within minutes.
"The offender made his way up the building site, discharging his firearm on multiple occasions. Police entered in the building within 10 minutes."
Coster said many people were evacuated, but several workers found refuge within the building while the shooting happened. About 8am the Armed Offenders Squad, supported by the Special Tactics Group, found the gunman, who had barricaded himself into an elevator shaft.
The police commissioner said the offender fired at police, injuring an officer, and shots were then exchanged.
"The offender was later found deceased."
The injured police officer was taken to hospital in a critical condition, but has since stabilised.
Police on Thursday evening said the cordon around the area had been reduced, now covering just the immediate vicinity of the site - an under-construction building by the waterfront. Roads around the area have been reopened. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins expressed his "deep sorrow" that two people, who he said were civilians, had been killed.
St John Ambulance said five patients were taken to Auckland Hospital - one in a serious condition and four moderate. Another patient in a serious condition was taken to Middlemore Hospital.
Two more patients - one in a moderate condition and one minor - were treated at the scene. St John erected its major incident tent to triage patients that had minor injuries. Two of the injured were police officers.
No national security risk - PM
It was his understanding, from advice received, that there was no identified political or ideological motivation for the shooting - therefore no national security risk, Hipkins said.
"There is no change to New Zealand's national threat level."
Acting Superintendent Sunny Patel, Relieving Auckland District Commander said a police critical incident investigation had been launched, and as part of that police would be working to understand the circumstances behind the offender's actions.
He said they spoke to 70 witnesses on Thursday, and a scene examination would continue on Friday, with a scene guard in place overnight.
"The police officer hospitalised this morning continues to be in a stable condition, and support remains in place for that member and their family.
"We can also confirm a second police officer that was involved in the response was later taken to hospital for a precautionary check up. They are not seriously injured."
Construction firm LT McGuinness said they were working to support the teams who were on site during the shooting. In a statement, Dan McGuinness said the firm was assisting emergency services and their thoughts were with the families of the victims.
Terrified people fled from building where shooter was - worker
RNZ has spoken to a number of people caught up at the scene.
Naveen Kumar and his team were providing traffic management services for the construction work that was going on there.
"Everybody was rushing out of the building and we were like, 'What happened?' And they saw a guy with a shotgun and he went straight to the third floor of the building.
"There was some kind of office and he went straight into that."
Naveen Kumar was providing traffic management services for the construction work at the site of today's shooting when the incident unfolded. Photo: RNZ / Liu Chen
Kumar said they opened the barriers to allow everyone to leave quickly and phoned emergency services. Police arrived within minutes and evacuated about 100 people to the ferry terminal building, where they were taking statements from eyewitnesses.
Other eyewitnesses described being told by police to run and take cover after hearing multiple gunshots.
Public transport services resume, but delays expected
Traffic being diverted after fatal shooting in Auckland CBD. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
Auckland Transport said during the incident that public transport would be disrupted for at least a few hours. Executive general manager for public transport services Stacey van der Putten said ferries circled the harbour while the shooting was unfolding.
Passengers were funnelled out of the east end of Britomart Station, away from the shooting, and buses were diverted around part of Custom and Quay streets.
At 2.50pm, Auckland Transport said all services were back to normal. Police reassured the public they could continue to come into the CBD, but should avoid the cordon area around lower Queen Street.
FIFA Women's World Cup opening match to go ahead
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has reassured the public the police neutralised the threat and there was no ongoing risk.
He said the opening match between New Zealand and Norway would go ahead.
Hipkins reassured international guests the risk had been eliminated and he welcomed them to New Zealand.
Minister for Sport and Recreation Grant Robertson said FIFA's president and secretary general had passed on their condolences.
He said the teams and those associated with the competition staying nearby were all safe.
Police would have a presence at the match, Patel said, as part of "standard procedure" for major events.
Opposition reaction
National Party leader Christopher Luxon and ACT's David Seymour praised the actions of police and first responders, saying it was too soon to politicise the tragedy.
"There will be a time to ask how such a thing could happen, how it could have been stopped, and what should happen to stop it happening again," said Seymour. " That time is when all the facts are known, and carefully analysed. Rushing to conclusions often makes things worse."
"What we saw from our police and first responders was some incredibly heroic activity and when all of the events of today are pieced together, more and more heroes will emerge from what happened here this morning," said Luxon, adding there were "lots of questions that New Zealanders will have but today is not that day. Today is not a day for politics."
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters broke with the other party leaders, putting the blame for the incident on "ludicrously soft sentences that put community safety a distant last to the offenders' rights and excuses".
Peters made the comments in posts to his social media channels on Thursday evening, asking, "Where has justice and common sense gone from our country?"