Tough task to corral lone wolves

The terror attack at an Auckland supermarket is a shock to the system for people across the country. It’s particularly hard for the shoppers and Countdown supermarket staff at LynnMall. They were going about their shopping or work business, with coronavirus the only expected threat. They were blindsided by an attacker, who began stabbing.

When such events occur, the victims are the focus for healthcare, but their stories are unknown and overshadowed by debate about the incident, and the offender’s tale.

Those seven people, aged from 29 to 77, dealing with injuries, deserve the utmost sympathy and support. Their worlds were shaken to the core. And it would be traumatic for those who witnessed it, and possibly saw the Isisinfluenced extremist shot dead.

Plenty of others would have found the incident hard to deal with. They include the police who shot the attacker, having kept him under watch for 53 days hoping it wouldn’t come to this.

Those directly affected by the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings would have been faced with painful memories. As the Prime Minister said: “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. He alone carries the responsibility . . .”

The “lone-wolf”’ attacker had been here since 2011, arriving on a student visa from Sri Lanka, and granted refugee status in 2013. He spent three years in jail after being arrested in May 2017, suspected of heading to Syria and charged with possessing hunting knives and objectionable material.

Attempts to charge him with plotting an attack or to deport him failed. He was released last July and was under surveillance. GPS tracking was denied by the courts.

The legal issues surrounding him and assessment of what went wrong defy easy answers, even as political leaders aim to rush through tougher terror laws. A bill introduced in April would make it a criminal offence to plan or prepare for a terrorist attack. But experts say it may not have made a difference in this case.

People acting alone have the element of surprise and can quickly inflict damage. Prevention is best. Yet there are questions over targeting a suspect for appearing to want to commit an act.

Could such laws be misused? Responses to horrific acts need careful consideration to prevent them happening again.