Source: Zero Hedge
Law enforcement officers in New Zealand say they shot and killed a knife-wielding Islamic terrorist on Friday, at an Auckland grocery store within 60 seconds of the stabbing spree, Reuters reported.
The man went inside the home appliance aisle of the supermarket, grabbed a large knife from a case, and went on a 60-second stabbing spree. He was running through the aisles stabbing anyone and everyone “like a lunatic,” one shopper told the Stuff.
“It’s obviously a very big shock, completely unexpected,” the husband of a woman who was stabbed. He asked not to be identified and called the attack a “bit of a nightmare.”
The terrorist was killed in a hail of gunfire by law enforcement. The incident has been labeled an “extremist” terror attack.
The Sri Lankan man has been a resident of the island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean for a decade, and was inspired by ISIS according to reports. His name has yet to be released by police.
“A violent extremist undertook a terrorist attack on innocent New Zealanders.
“He obviously was a supporter of ISIS ideology,” Ardern told reporters at a briefing.
Shoppers flee a mall after multiple people stabbed by ‘ISIS-inspired’ knifeman in New Zealand pic.twitter.com/RXjln1jAoS
— The Sun (@TheSun) September 3, 2021
According to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, the man was considered a severe threat and was under “constant” police surveillance.
“The reality is, that when you are surveilling someone on a 24/7 basis, it is not possible to be immediately next to them at all times. The staff intervened as quickly as they could and they prevented further injury in what was a terrifying situation,” Andrew Coster, the country’s top police official, said.
A video was released on social media of the knife spree blurred out, but the fatal hail of gunfire from law enforcement officers can be heard in the background.
#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
New Zealand has been on edge for attacks since a gunman killed 51 people at two mosques in 2015, leading to a widespread anti-gun campaign.
