A 37-year-old man has been charged with murder after allegedly stabbing a woman in Christchurch in a "traumatic, senseless act", it's been confirmed.
Police originally arrested two people on Saturday after emergency services were called to a potential stabbing on Cheyenne St, Sockburn at 4:20pm.
A woman was found critically injured and despite medical assistance, she died at the scene.
Canterbury District Commander Supt John Price confirmed at a press conference on Sunday the second person arrested is a family member of the alleged suspect and has since been released.
Price also confirmed the woman who was stabbed was not known to the alleged offender.
The alleged offender was known to police, Price said.
Price said the victim, a woman in her 50s from the Sockburn area, had finished work and was making her way home by bus. She got off at a bus stop near her home when the "senseless violent act occurred".
"[It's] simply a horrific, traumatic and random attack on an innocent person who was simply making her way home from work," Price said.
"Our thoughts as police and as a community are with this grieving family and the loved ones of the victim, who are not only having to deal; with the loss of a partner, mother, friend and colleague."
Price reassured the Sockburn community they would continue to see a police presence over the coming days.
"I also know this traumatic, senseless act will have an incredible impact on the community as a whole, not only the community of Sockburn, Christchurch but our wider community of New Zealand," he said.
"I want to reinforce that this was an isolated incident and we are not seeking anyone else for this matter."
Price urged any witnesses to the stabbing to come forward and speak to the police.
"We continue to ask that if anyone saw anything, witnessed this incident, or possibly has CCTV coverage or security cameras or anything that may be of use to us to please notify police on 105," he said.
"No one deserves this. Everyone has the right to go about living in this beautiful place we call Aotearoa, knowing that they can do this in peace and not subjective to this horrific injury and harm."
Price said the 37-year-old man would appear in Christchurch District Court on Monday.
Police officers would complete a thorough investigation but hoped to remove the cordon in the next couple of days, he said.
