Man shot dead by police, six injured, after terror attack at Auckland’s LynnMall Countdown

From New Zealand’s Stuff

Dramatic video has captured the moment police fired multiple gunshots in a West Auckland supermarket, killing an attacker who injured six people with a knife in an “extremist” terror attack.

The video shows a man lying on the ground inside Countdown in LynnMall, New Lynn, blood on the floor and shoppers in panic, on Friday afternoon. Moments later a volley of shots rings out – seemingly the moment police took down the man.

Six patients have been taken to hospitals across Auckland. Three are in a critical condition, one is in a serious condition and two are in a moderate condition. In a press conference alongside Police Commissioner Andrew Coster, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed the attacker was an extremist terror group sympathiser who had been known to authorities since 2016. He was under heavy surveillance by specialist tactical officers due to his extremist views, and it was them who shot him dead.

Ardern said the man, a Sri Lankan national who came to New Zealand in October 2011, had previously been before the courts.

She said the law meant he could not be kept in prison, but he was being monitored “constantly”. Suppression orders meant she could not share further details at this stage, but she was seeking further guidance from the courts on that. Ardern said she was “absolutely gutted” to hear news of the attack.

Speaking from the Beehive in Wellington, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed it was a terrorist attack on innocent New Zealanders. Ardern described it as a “despicable” and “hateful” act by “an individual, not a faith”. Well, Mrs Hijabette would, wouldn’t she. 

More about his record of terrorist offences

The man who was shot dead by police after attacking a number of people at an Auckland supermarket had just last month been sentenced to one year of supervision for possessing Isis propaganda that promoted terrorism. The Crown had sought to charge him under the Terrorism Suppression Act but the application was declined. Will they learn from this? I doubt it. 

The man, who has name suppression, faced trial at the High Court at Auckland where a jury found him guilty of two charges of possessing objectionable publications and failing to comply with a search. In July, Justice Sally Fitzgerald sentenced him to 12 months’ supervision. She found he had an “operative interest” in the terrorist organisation, and a report writer concluded he “had the means and motivation to commit violence in the community”. They weren’t wrong.

The jury found him not guilty of a third charge of possessing another objectionable publication – a video showing people being killed – and also not guilty of possessing a knife without lawful authority. 

…the man (refered to elsewhere as S) took to the stand in his own defence claiming he was only learning about his religion and he was put in jail because he is a Muslim. However, crown prosecutor Henry Steele said it was no coincidence the man had bought a hunting knife then watched an instructional video on how to use it.

A seven-minute video, which is the cause of the third objectionable publication charge, shows people being murdered by Isis. The video also provides instruction on how to kill non-Muslims.

“You put me in jail because I am a Muslim and you don’t like my religion. That makes you an enemy. Allah says you will be punished,” he told Steele.

Remember, at the moment Auckland is under a strict lockdown due to a case of Covid, and the whole country is closed to travellers.

The Daily Mail has managed to get hold of some photographs and the video.. 

After receiving a formal warning from police, ‘S’ reportedly made a social media post which read: ‘One day I will go back to my country and I will find Kiwi scums in my country… and I will show them… what will happen when you mess with S while I’m in their country. If you’re tough in your country… we are tougher in our country scums.’ 

During his trial, ‘S’ reportedly told the jury: ‘You’re worried about one knife, I am telling you I will buy 10 knives. It’s about my rights.’