At least two people were killed and five others injured after a gunman stormed a building under construction with a shotgun in the New Zealand city of Auckland early Thursday, hours before the first soccer match of the Women’s World Cup was scheduled to begin in the city.
The gunman was also killed, the police said in a post on Twitter. They said that a police officer was taken to a hospital in critical condition, but that his condition had stabilized.
The New Zealand Police began receiving reports of a person firing a gun inside the construction site about 7:20 a.m. local time, a police spokeswoman, Anna Thompson, said in an email.
Passers-by and commuters heard the volley of gunshots during rush hour. Armed police officers and vehicles swarmed the area, and the authorities shut down parts of the city.
The episode occurred as teams from New Zealand and Norway were set to play at Eden Park Stadium, about three miles from the site of the shooting. Several World Cup teams and many fans are staying in Auckland’s central business district, and the shooting occurred very close to Norway’s team hotel and near a fan festival set up for the tournament.
The United States team, which will play its first game here against Vietnam in two days, is also staying in the area.
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