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Five people have been injured in a “random” stabbing in Auckland, with police praising the bravery of bystanders who brought down the alleged attacker.
One witness said beachgoers and shoppers ran screaming from the scene in beachside Murrays Bay, on Auckland’s North Shore, after a man started stabbing people with a kitchen knife on Thursday morning.
The alleged stabber was then chased down by construction workers from a nearby worksite. He was later taken into custody.
St John Ambulance confirmed five people were injured, with four taken to an Auckland hospital.
Three reportedly have moderate injuries and two minor injuries.
One woman, who was walking her dog along the beach, said a construction worker used crutches to bring down the alleged attacker.
She said she watched a man in a hoodie run down a road and begin stabbing people. He chased one teenager, who screamed.
“We thought she was being silly, she was shrieking,” the woman said.
“He stabbed two people, totally random… it all happened very quickly.”
Police spokeswoman Superintendent Naila Hassan praised bystanders for their actions. She said the bravery of bystanders prevented the attack from “being a lot worse”.
The alleged offender is in hospital with minor injuries.
Superintendent Hassan said it would’ve been an extremely traumatic event for those involved.
“This was an isolated incident,” she told the New Zealand Herald.
The offender had “quite a large knife”, she said.
Superintendent Hassan said the attack was random and there was no indication it was a hate crime.
“I really need to acknowledge the bravery of the members of the public who intervened,” she said.
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