Two people are dead after a gunman armed with a pump-action shotgun stormed a building in Auckland’s central business district this morning. The gunman has also died. At least six people are injured, including one police officer who was transported to hospital in a critical condition. The police officer is now stable. The incident occurred hours before the opening of the Fifa Women’s World Cup, which is being co-hosted by New Zealand.

The shooter has been identified as 24-year-old Matu Tangi Matua Reid. He was serving a sentence of five months home detention for domestic violence and had approval to travel to the building site as an employee of a subcontractor that had been working on the renovation.

The incident is the worst episode of gun violence in New Zealand since a terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch, in 2019

Police received a call about a man with a pump-action shotgun firing at people in a building on Lower Queen St at 7.23am. Upon reaching the upper levels of the building, the man contained himself in an elevator and police engaged with him. Shots were fired and he was found dead a short time later.

Prime minister Chris Hipkins reassured the country it was an isolated incident and there is no further threat. There was no indication the shooter was politically or ideologically motivated. Hipkins told a press conference that the whole nation is mourning:

‘The victims went to work this morning as they do every morning, but they won’t be coming home tonight’

Two police officers were shot at, Hipkins said. ‘The trauma of this event will still be significant,’ Hipkins added. ‘Agencies will conduct their own investigations into what happened this morning. Corrections will do a full review into the offender’s management. One thing we will all have a question about is how the shooter got the gun in the first place.’

The gunman was recently sentenced on domestic violence charges and was described by a probation officer as being at low-risk of reoffending – but his risk of causing harm to others was considered to be high. Police have reduced the cordon around the area, which is now in place around the immediate vicinity of the site.

A moment of silence was observed at World Cup opening match for the shooting victims. The incident is the worst episode of gun violence in New Zealand since a terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch, in 2019.