By Suzie Ziegler
AUCKLAND, New Zealand — Police in New Zealand killed a “violent extremist” after the man began a frenzied stabbing attack at an Auckland supermarket on Friday, according to NBC News. The man injured six people, three of them seriously, before he was shot.
According to NBC News, the man was known to police and had been under surveillance since 2016. Police were in fact following the man Friday while at the grocery store, allowing officers to shoot him within 60 seconds after the attack started.
In a news conference, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the man was a “known security threat” who was inspired by the Islamic State group. Ardern described the man as a Sri Lankan national but said his identify cannot be shared due to past court orders, according to CNN.
Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said the man obtained a knife from inside the store and approached police with it prior to being shot, according to the report.
Cellphone video shows the moments immediately after the knife attack. A series of shots can be heard in the video.
New Zealand has been on alert for terrorist attacks since a gunman in 2019 killed 51 worshippers at a mosque in the city of Christchurch, according to NBC.
#BreakingNews : *Stabbing* New Zealand police shot dead a man after he entered an Auckland supermarket and stabbed multiple people, with at least six reported injured#NewZealand #Auckland #Stabbing #Woolworths pic.twitter.com/f4NWgxDevY
— 5 News Australia (@5NewsAustralia) September 3, 2021