Tue. Nov 5th, 2024
aukland morning
Photo Credit: John Babiak.

AUKLAND – Just hours before the ninth FIFA Women’s World Cup was set to kick off here in Auckland, New Zealand, gun shots broke the morning silent from within a building on lower Queen Street, and popular area for residents and tourists to socialize. 

According to an Auckland Police Department statement, a male shooter “moved through a building site and continued to discharge his firearm. When he reached the upper levels of the building, the male has contained himself within the elevator shaft and our staff have attempted to engage with him.”

Two people were murdered and six were injured.

During a press conference in Wellington, located in Southern New Zealand, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said the “Women’s World Cup will proceed as planned.” 

He added “Clearly, with the FIFA World Cup kicking off this evening, there are a lot of eyes on Auckland. The Government has spoken to FIFA organizers this morning and the tournament will proceed as planned.”

U.S. Soccer shared with members of the media “our USWNT players and staff are accounted for and safe. Our security team is in communication with local authorities and we are proceeding with our daily schedule.” The organization also added in a statement, that it “extends its deepest condolences to the families of the victims who were killed in downtown Auckland today.”

The Mayor of Auckland, Wayne Brown, described the incident as a “dreadful thing to happen in our city at a time when the rest of the world’s watching us over the football.”

The coastal city of Auckland boasts a population population of over 1.6 million residents. Hundreds of thousands of football fans are here to watch the World Cup games. It was the former capital of New Zealand. 

New Zealand hosts Norway in the opening match of FIFA’s tournament this evening.

Here at Burgundy Wave, our hearts go out the victims and their families.

Photo Credit: John Babiak.

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