Another 6 people were injured; as it is an isolated event, the event schedule is maintained
A gunman killed two people in Auckland, New Zealand, on the morning of Thursday (July 20, 2023), local time – Wednesday afternoon (July 19) in Brazil. The city is the stage for the opening of the Women’s World Cup, which will also take place this Thursday (July 20), at 4 am Brasília time.
According to local police, a 24-year-old man opened fire inside a building under construction using a shotgun. He was killed by the police when he tried to hide in the elevator shaft. In the shooting, 6 people were injured.
“We have not formally identified the assailant, but we believe the man to be 24 years old. We understand that he worked at the construction site and that his reason for being there this morning is related to this work.”, reads in announcement from the police.
Several Auckland streets have been cordoned off and public transport services have been diverted or suspended.
The attack took place near the region where some teams are staying. Because of the incident, training for the Italian team was postponed.
Despite the disruption, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said the schedule for the Women’s World Cup would be maintained. According to him, “there was no identified political or ideological motivation for the shooting and therefore there is no risk to national security”.
Shortly afterwards, FIFA confirmed that the opening of the event and the opening match, between New Zealand and Norway, will be held normally because it is an isolated case.
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