Two stabbed near graduation ceremony

A student has described the chaotic scenes after two people were stabbed near an Auckland graduation ceremony.

Two people were attacked on Wednesday afternoon outside the Auckland Town Hall where a graduation was being held for students at the New Zealand School of Tourism (NZST), police said.

Graduating student Stacey Wong-howe was on her way to the ceremony when she saw people running out of the hall.

‘‘We thought they were having fun,’’ Wong-howe said.

‘‘My sister said ‘that girl just chucked her flowers’. She thought maybe there was a spider.’’

Then her daughter said: ‘‘There’s a knife’’.

‘‘No little kid should see that,’’ Wong-howe said.

Wong-howe said she and her family turned away from the hall and her mother called police while she stopped people from going towards the incident.

A woman has been charged with assault in connection with the stabbing, which police described as ‘‘unprovoked and isolated’’.

It began when a woman in possession of a knife caused superficial injuries to a member of the public just before 3pm, Superintendent Karyn Malthus said.

A second person tried to intervene and was also attacked by the woman, Malthus said.

‘‘At this point, another member of the public restrained the woman until police arrived.

‘‘The woman was then taken into custody without further incident.

‘‘I would like to acknowledge this selfless act of bravery in restraining the offender.’’

The two people who were injured were treated at the scene and didn’t need further medical attention.

‘‘Police are ensuring there is support in place for both people involved in the incident and we are also providing reassurance to the institute whose graduation was taking place around the time,’’ Malthus said.

A 38-year-old woman is facing a number of charges over the incident, including injuring with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, injuring with intent and assault.

She was due to appear in the Auckland District Court yesterday.