Four stabbed in ‘random’ attack in Auckland

Four members of the public have been stabbed in what police say was a “random” and “isolated” incident on Auckland’s North Shore.

A person was arrested in Mairangi Bay after reports of a mass stabbing in neighbouring Murrays Bay on Auckland’s North Shore. Picture: Daniel Camu

Four members of the public have been stabbed in what police say was a “random” and “isolated” incident on Auckland’s North Shore — where a woman says she had to run screaming after a man chased her off the beach with a “big knife”.

Police said the offender, who is in hospital after suffering moderate injuries, was stopped by members of the public - preventing the attack from “being a lot worse”.

Waitematā district commander Superintendent Naila Hassan said it would’ve been an extremely traumatic event for the victims involved.

The offender was a local person - and has been apprehended. He had randomly stabbed four members of the public who had suffered moderate injuries - before being stopped by a person using a crutch.

“This was an isolated incident,” she said.

“This offender was on the move, he was on foot, it started in Murrays Bay [where he stabbed members of the public], and he continued to walk through to Mairangi Bay.

“A number of members of the public were following him and eventually one of them intervened.

Police have cordoned off the scene. Picture: RNZ

“It could’ve been a lot worse and that’s why I really need to acknowledge the bravery of those members of the public that intervened to bring this to a conclusion.”

The members of the public who had acted or helped had “acted with bravery”, Hassan said.

The offender had “quite a large knife”, she said.

This was a random attack and there was no indication it was a hate crime, Hassan said.

“I really need to acknowledge the bravery of the members of the public who intervened,” she said.

“It was a random attack.”

The offender was in hospital and has been moderately injured. He will face charges, she confirmed.

Witnesses speak of terrifying details

A witness, who didn’t want to be identified, lives close to the beach and had stepped onto it to take her dog for a walk on their regular route when she noticed a man close to the water.

He turned around and began approaching her and the woman at first thought he “wanted to chat”.

“I was wearing headphones and went to take the headphones off to talk to him because that’s what I thought he wanted,” she told the NZ Herald.

However, there was something about the man that put the woman on edge, she said.

Then “he just started running at me”.

According to local media, a large kitchen knife has been found at the scene where multiple people were stabbed and witnesses say people were screaming and being stabbed at random in the incident this morning.

Issac Hong, an employee at CafeBayBay in Murrays Bay, told Stuff there was a woman stabbed at the bus stop across the road from his cafe.

Hong said the alleged stabber then ran onto Murrays Bay beach, and attacked an “older Asian couple”.

Hong said he was told by witnesses in the area that the alleged stabber ran to Mairangi Bay, and was chased down by construction workers from a nearby worksite before police apprehended the alleged attacker.

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A person was arrested in Mairangi Bay after reports of a mass stabbing in neighbouring Murrays Bay on Auckland’s North Shore. Picture: Daniel Camu

A Mairangi Bay resident says he witnessed a man, who looked to be in his 20s, holding a 20-centimetre knife being walked down his street by five men who were guarding him while holding weapons.

The resident, who wanted to be identified only as Steve, said he was gardening outside his Montrose Terrace home when he saw the armed man being escorted down the road towards the waterfront.

The alleged offender appeared to be in some level of distress, Steve told the NZ Herald.

The people encircling the man didn’t appear to know each other, he said. As they progressed down the road, the group was telling members of the public to step aside and make way.

Two men struck the knife-wielding man – once in the leg and once in the head – which brought the man to the ground, Steve said.

“The man more or less lay down, I know he burst out in tears, you could hear him crying. I think the realisation came in.”

Steve was full of praise for the group of men who had surrounded the alleged offender: “They were just so good, they should be commended.”

North Shore MP Simon Watts said he was aware there had been a stabbing.

“Multiple people have been injured, and my thoughts are with them and their families,” he said.

“Thank you to the police, ambulance and first responders for supporting our community today.”

East Coast Bays MP Eric Stanford said it was “extremely upsetting to hear about the tragic stabbing”.

“My heart goes out to all the victims and their families,” the National MP said.

Originally published as Four stabbed in ‘random’ attack in Auckland