A man linked to the Islamic State stabbed six people in a supermarket in Auckland, New Zealand, and later was shot down by local police. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern admitted that the government had information on the attacker because long ago had been detained as a terrorist suspect and then he was released without custody: “We have not applied the law as we should have done it”.
The incident occurred in the early hours of today when the aggressor, whose name and age did not transcend due to judicial prohibition, He entered a shopping center, took one of the knives that were on a counter and began to nail it to several customers.
The local police reported that the six injured people are in serious condition and that the attacker was a Sri Lankan citizen who came to New Zealand in 2011.
An attacker with a history of terrorism
The man was shot down within minutes that the police were aware of what was happening in the store. It was when he saw several shoppers fleeing the supermarket in terror. The images captured by witnesses show the moment when the policemen rushed to the scene of the attack before firing the shots.
Prime Minister Ardern declared herself “devastated.” Not only because of the wounded but because of the fact that this man was on an anti-terrorist list and was under permanent police surveillance.
“What happened today was an act of hatred, unworthy and despicable,” he said during a press conference in which he considered that the act was the product of “a violent ideology inspired by the Islamic State group”.
The president said she could not reveal much about the attacker given that a past court decision prohibited the dissemination of information, but specified that he was detained and released because there were no legal grounds to keep him in custody.
The New Zealand government mea culpa
“The fact that he was free among the population shows that we have not applied the law as we should have“acknowledged the head of government.
He then assured that all aspects of the incident will be investigated and avoided revealing how many terrorism suspects are under surveillance in New Zealand. He just said that “There are very few people who fall into this category”.
For its part, Police Chief Andrew Coster said authorities are confident the man acted alone and that therefore there are no more threats to society.
He acknowledged that there are doubts about how an attack could be carried out practically in the presence of the agents, but defended his work. “I am satisfied, based on the information I have, that the personnel involved not only did what is expected in such a situation, but also showed great courage,” he declared and He excused himself: “The reality is that when someone is monitored 24 hours a day, and seven days a week, it is not possible to be by their side all the time”.
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