Security will be increased ahead of Thursday night’s inaugural Women’s World Cup 2023 game. This comes after a shooter killed two people at a downtown construction site in Auckland, around 12 hours before co-host New Zealand’s match against Norway.
Norway’s team hotel was close to the incident, which took place in the city’s tourism district at the harbour ferry port. A helicopter hovering outside the hotel woke up her teammates, according to Norway captain Maren Mjelde.
“We felt safe the whole time,” Mjelde said in a statement. “FIFA has a good security system at the hotel, and we have our own security officer in the squad. Everyone seems calm and we are preparing as normal for the game tonight.”
Officials at Eden Park, where the game was set to take place after the tournament’s opening ceremony, urged ticket holders to arrive early.
“There will be an increased security presence throughout the precinct and venue.” “There are additional traffic management measures in place,” Eden Park stated.
The incident occurred during rush hour in New Zealand’s largest city early Thursday morning. According to New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, the attacker was armed with a pump-action shotgun. He stated that cops arrived one minute after the first emergency contact and ran directly into danger to rescue the lives of others.
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Acting Police Superintendent Sunny Patel said the gunman was found dead in a lift.
In addition to the three fatalities, at least four people were injured, including a police officer who was taken to the hospital in critical condition but is now classified in stable condition, according to the New Zealand police on Twitter.
Although Hipkins stated that his presence at the first match was “under review,” he stated that the event would continue as planned. He also mentioned that a moment of silence could be incorporated in Thursday night’s opening ceremony.
FIFA’s president, Gianni Infantino, and general-secretary, Fatma Samoura, issued a statement saying they were in close contact with local authorities and participating teams in the area.
Tourism New Zealand has cancelled a welcoming celebration scheduled for Thursday afternoon at a venue within the cordoned-off area that includes many hotels where participating teams are staying.
The month-long, 32-team competition is co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia, with the final set for August 20. Both countries have tight gun prohibitions, and fatal shootings are uncommon.
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