ISIS fan in stab spree
Hurts 6 in New Zealand before being shot dead
An ISIS-inspired maniac went on a stabbing rampage in New Zealand, knifing six people before being shot dead by cops.
He was taken out quickly by police because he had been under constant surveillance because of his known allegiance to the twisted ideologies of the Islamic State group. He launched the attack at a busy Auckland marketplace Friday afternoon.
The terror attack unfolded at LynnMall in the district of New Lynn over just 60 seconds. Authorities said the suspect, who has not been identified, grabbed a knife from one of the store shelves and then stabbed six people.
Witnesses said the man shouted “Allahu akbar” — or God is great — and started to attack random shoppers, sending the market into bloody chaos.
Three shoppers were taken to Auckland hospitals in critical condition, police said. Another was in serious condition, while two more were in moderate condition.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told reporters on Friday the man, a Sri Lanka national who arrived in New Zealand in 2011, was a “known security threat.” He’d been under constant surveillance by multiple government agencies and was trailed by officers and a specialist tactics group from his home in the suburb of Glen Eden to the supermarket.
“This was a violent attack, it was senseless, and I am so sorry it happened,” she said.
Despite ongoing concerns about the suspect, authorities did not have any reason to suspect an attack would occur at the supermarket. The incident remained under investigation.
“What happened today was
despicable. It was hateful. It was wrong,” Ardern continued.
“It was carried out by an individual. Not a faith, not a culture, not an ethnicity. But an individual person who is gripped by ideology that is not supported here by anyone or any community.”
The prime minister thanked shoppers who helped those who were under sttack.
“To everyone who was there and
who witnessed such a horrific event, I can’t imagine how they will be feeling in the aftermath,” Ardern said. “But thank you for coming to the aid of those who needed you when they needed you.”
Auckland is currently in a strict coronavirus lockdown. Most businesses are closed and people are generally allowed to leave their homes only to buy groceries, for medical needs or to exercise.
Sri Lanka’s government expressed shock and sadness over the brutality committed by a person of Sri Lankan origin.
“Sri Lanka condemns this senseless violence, and stands ready to cooperate with New Zealand authorities in any way necessary,” its Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Extremist ideology is rare in New Zealand and Ardern said that only a tiny number of people would be subject to such intense surveillance.
In 2019, a white supremacist gunned down worshippers at two Christchurch mosques, killing 51 people and injuring dozens more. After pleading guilty last year, Brenton Tarrant was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole and New Zealand passed stricter gun laws.
Al Noor mosque in Christchurch, which was attacked in 2019, expressed its support for Friday’s victims
“We stand with the victims of the horrible incident,” said Gamal Fouda, the imam of Al Noor. “We feel strongly the pain of terrorism and there are no words that can convey our condemnation of such a horrible act.”