Shock before the opening game of the Women’s World Cup!
In Auckland, where the tournament will open at 9 a.m. German time with hosts New Zealand playing Norway, a gunman shot two people dead and injured at least six others. The perpetrator (24) also died.
A man is said to have holed himself up in a construction site and opened fire for reasons that have not yet been clarified. The attack, very close to the Norwegian team hotel, happened shortly after 7 a.m. local time.
Just hours before the start of the tournament, the perpetrator shot himself. A police officer is among the injured
“We see a helicopter and several police cars from the hotel, but nothing else,” said a spokeswoman for the Norwegian team.
National team safe
National team captain Maren Mjelde, 33, explained that several players woke up when a police helicopter was circling the area. “We felt safe the whole time. Fifa has a good security system in the hotel and we have our own security officer in the squad. Everyone seems calm and we’re preparing for tonight’s game as usual,” said Mjelde.
Workers at the construction site were brought to safety by the police
Police assume it was a lone perpetrator
Auckland Police Chief Sunny Patel classified the shooting as an isolated incident: “We can also point out that this poses no threat to national security.”
Players of the Philippines left the team hotel
The perpetrator has now been identified: Matu Tangi Matua Reid (24). According to media reports, in March he was convicted of assault and harassment of women, among other things, and has been wearing an ankle bracelet since then. The government assumes that the act had no political motive.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins (44) stated that the tournament should go ahead as planned.
Pop before the start of the World Cup This is the new message of the captain’s armband
In addition to Norway and New Zealand, other World Cup teams are in town: the Philippines, the USA, Portugal and Italy.