Police are speaking to one person in relation to a "violent and unprovoked" stabbing at a dairy in central Auckland.
A mother and her adult son received serious and critical injuries respectively in the incident, and have since gone into surgery. They are now both in a stable condition.
- Two people hospitalised after stabbing in Grey Lynn, Auckland
- Pair stabbed in Grey Lynn believed to be mother and son
A man armed with a knife, entered the Hylite Dairy on Great North Road in Grey Lynn just after 7pm on Tuesday. It is believed there could have been two more offenders outside.
Police were speaking to a number of people on Wednesday, but were focused on one person in relation to the incident, Det Insp Scott Beard said.
Det Insp Beard described the incident, which police believe was intended to be an aggravated robbery, as "violent and unprovoked".
The attacker waited for customers to leave the store before stabbing the victims.
He did not take anything from the store with him when he fled the scene.
The 62-year-old mother came to the aid of her son who had been stabbed "a number of times," Det Insp Beard says.
In doing so, she too was stabbed by the offender.
Last night, police followed a "blood trail" which led them to the knife believed to have been used by the offender.
A local retailer who witnessed the scene told Newshub they saw somebody leave the store after the stabbing walking "casually" while holding a four to five-inch long knife covered in blood.
Insp Regan James said it was a "horrific" and "horrible" incident.
"No one deserves this whatsoever."
Police are doing everything in their power to ensure the community is safe as the investigation continues, Insp James said.
Members of the public with any information that could help the investigation are urged to contact Auckland police on (09) 302 6557 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Newshub.
