Auckland shooter Matu Reid had conviction for domestic violence

Auckland had a festive air as Matu Reid, a young man with a troubled history, walked to a CBD construction site and started shooting.

New Zealand’s largest city had a festive air as Matu Tangi Matua Reid, a young man with a troubled history, walked calmly through Britomart train station in downtown Auckland, just after 7am local time (5am AEST) on Thursday, then on to the construction site at No.1 Queen Street a few hundred metres away.

The talk in the streets was all about the FIFA Women’s World Cup, due to start in Auckland in hours and already, at the height of rush hour, the streets were full of tourists and football fans, as well as office workers.

Matu Tangi Matua Reid was on home detention for domestic violence.

As the 24-year-old, who had been recently convicted of domestic violence, strode into the building site construction workers arriving for work saw nothing suspicious about him … until Reid, wearing an ankle bracelet and armed with a pump action shotgun, ran up the stairs toward them, shouting at them to go up to the roof or he would shoot them.

The incident began at around 7.20am, when approximately 100 people were at the building, a 21-storey flagship project for Precinct Properties that will hold a five-star hotel, law and accountancy offices.

Some workers fled into offices and barricaded themselves in, hiding under desks as they listened in terror to the sounds of gunfire; others did as they were told and ran to the roof of the building, where TV images showed men in high-vis vests crouching behind pallets as armed police protected them. Other images showed people cowering under their desks inside as the gunman roamed from floor to floor.

A construction worker called Mick told NZ TV he and seven other colleagues locked themselves in a room on Level 3 of the building and hid under desks when they heard the shots begin.

“It was daunting because the door was quite slim and someone could have ripped it off. Being young you don’t really think of mortality but sitting under that desk drove it in,” he told 1News.

When the gunfire stopped, the men ventured out but Mick saw the gunman in a stairwell holding a shotgun. “We scattered to the back of the building and I saw someone’s hard hat covered in blood and blood spattered on the ground,” he said. “We could still see the man walking around with his gun.”

Three people, including Reid, died in the incident, with at least eight others injured, three seriously. A police officer who engaged with the gunman was critically injured but is now stable, according to Police Commissioner Andrew Coster.

Eyewitnesses said Reid went straight to the third floor, where the offices of construction company LT McGuinness were situated.

One builder said he saw Reid “aiming at people” on Level 3.

“We were scared for our lives,” he said. “You don’t know where the bullets are going to come from.”

A construction worker using the Twitter handle Papoosey tweeted the gunman was a “current employee” who tried to access all floors in the building.

Another man told the NZ Herald he saw a wounded colleague tying his vest around his head to stop the bleeding, and saw a large puddle of blood around the man when he went to help.

“It was around one-and-a-half litres of blood, no less,” he said.

Police said Reid moved up the various levels of the building firing the shotgun – a popular duck hunting gun in NZ – before barricading himself inside a lift shaft, where he exchanged fire with officers.

An injured police officer is led away from the scene. Picture: 1News

After the exchange of fire, officers found Reid’s body in the shaft, but Mr Coster could not say whether he had died by a police bullet or had killed himself.

Mr Coster said Reid didn’t have a firearms licence and there were some indications of a mental health history. Although he was under home detention, he had an exemption to travel to the site, where he worked.

At Reid’s sentencing in March, a judge said his risk of causing harm to others was considered to be high. “This is because of the violent nature of the present offending,” Judge Steve Bonnar’s sentencing notes said, according to Stuff.co.nz.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins flew up from Wellington to visit the site and appeared emotional as he confirmed “with deep sorrow” the deaths of two innocent people.

After spending the afternoon with the injured in hospital he offered his “deepest sadness and condolences” to the loved ones of those killed. “The whole nation is mourning with you,” he said. He also praised the courage of two police officers who were shot at while “protecting the public, their colleagues and other first responders … they are New Zealand heroes.”

A #shooting has left two people dead at a construction site in the central business district of #Auckland#New Zealand police say. Six other people, including police officers, were injured and the gunman is also dead after the incident. #auckland#guncontrol#GunControlNowpic.twitter.com/9coO2nR0kL

— Breaking News Worldwide (@FelizKarenP1) July 19, 2023

Mr Hipkins confirmed the shooting was a one-off incident and there would be no change to NZ’s national security threat level.

“There was no political or ideological motive for the shooting,” he said. “This appears to be the actions of one individual.”

The shooting comes as Mr Hipkins’ governing Labour party comes under increasing pressure over rising crime, which promises to be a central issue in October’s general election. The government this week made three major policy announcements, all in the youth crime area. The shooting will encourage rival party National to increase its attacks on Labour for being soft on crime.

Police surround the shooting incident. Picture: 1News

However on Thursday National leader Christopher Luxon refrained from weaponising the tragedy, saying instead that the day “was not a day for politics”.

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown said in a statement he was “shocked and saddened” by the shooting.

“I can’t remember anything like this ever happening in our beautiful city,” Mr Brown said. “This morning’s events have been tragic and distressing for all Aucklanders, as this is not something that we are used to.

“What we know is that this is an isolated incident.

“This appears to be the act of one individual, this was not a threat to national security, nor was it in any way related to the FIFA Women’s World Cup Event.”

A police helicopter hovers over Auckland CBD. Picture: 1News

NZ Corrections’ acting national commissioner Sean Mason told 1News the chief probation officer would conduct a full review into Reid’s case management.

“The full review will identify any action we can take to help prevent a horrific tragedy like this from happening again,” he said.

I was stuck on the roof. It was a current employee with a shotgun. He was trying to access all the rooms on the floors. Big thanks to nz police for heading straight up. He was caught in the alleymac

— Papoosey (@Plopsik303) July 19, 2023

Commercial Bay closed off
People seem hiding behind bollards as a shooting has occured
Public asked to stay away
Police and Ambulance on scenehttps://t.co/uyqHBYHyre

— Tina Nobbs (@TinasNewZealand) July 19, 2023