New Zealand police shoot dead 'ISIS-inspired terrorist' who stabbed 6 in Auckland grocery store

Police in Auckland, New Zealand, shot dead a "known violent extremist" who stabbed six people in a supermarket, in an "ISIS-inspired terrorist attack," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said at a news conference Friday. Three of the victims are in critical condition, one is in serious condition, and the other two are in moderate condition, BBC News reports.
Ardern said she is constrained by court order from identifying the attacker, but he was a Sri Lankan national who came to New Zealand in 2011 and has been "a known threat" since 2016. He was being closely and continuously monitored by a police surveillance team that shot him dead "within, I'm told, the space of roughly 60 seconds of the attack starting," Ardern said. The attack will be scrutinized in several investigations, she added.
Auckland is under strict lockdown to stop the spread of COVID-19, and supermarkets are one of the few businesses open. The attacker entered the Countdown LynMall supermarket, "as he had done before," at about 2:40 p.m. local time, then "obtained a knife from within the store," Police Commissioner Andrew Costner said. "Surveillance teams were as close as they possibly could be to monitor his activity," and they shot the man when he approached police with the knife."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Countdown's general manger of safety, Kiri Hannifin, said she was "devastated by what's taken place in our LynnMall store," and that supermarket "will be closed until further notice."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Suspect charged after 11 die in Vancouver car attack
Speed Read Kai-Ji Adam Lo drove an SUV into a crowd at the Lapu Lapu Day festival
-
Kenya arrests alleged ant smugglers
speed read Two young Belgians have been charged for attempting to smuggle ants out of the country to exotic pet buyers
-
Judge ends Eric Adams case, Trump leverage
Speed Read Federal corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams were dismissed, as requested by Trump's Justice Department
-
Texas arrests midwife on felony abortion charges
Speed Read Maria Margarita Rojas and an employee at one of her clinics are the first to be criminally charged under Texas' near-total abortion ban
-
South Carolina to execute prisoner by firing squad
speed read Death row inmate Brad Sigmon prefers the squad over the electric chair or lethal injection, his lawyer said
-
Mexico extradites 29 cartel figures amid US tariff threat
Speed Read The extradited suspects include Rafael Caro Quintero, long sought after killing a US narcotics agent
-
Leonard Peltier released from prison
Speed Read The Native American activist convicted of killing two FBI agents had his life sentence commuted by former President Joe Biden
-
Ex-Sen. Bob Menendez sentenced to 11 years
Speed Read The former New Jersey senator was convicted on federal bribery and corruption charges last year