On any other Thursday morning, the Commercial Bay precinct in downtown Auckland would be a bustling mecca for shoppers, diners, commuters, and workers looking for their daily dose of caffeine.
Situated in Auckland's central business district, Commercial Bay is bordered by Customs St West, lower Queen St, Albert St, and Quay St, a stone's throw from the Downtown Ferry Terminal, Britomart Train Station, Downtown Carpark, Te Komititanga square and a number of retailers, eateries and offices.
This Thursday, however, was different. The commuters and inner-city workers were replaced by armed police and emergency services, the area cordoned off to members of the public as officers responded to what was initially referred to as a "serious incident".
It was soon revealed that a gunman had entered a building on lower Queen St, which is currently under construction, and opened fire. A witness who saw the armed offender called police at 7:23am, with armed police arriving shortly afterwards.
Some time later, several witnesses reported hearing a string of gunshots fired in quick succession.
Reporting from the scene, AM's Emma Olsen said she had "never seen so many police cars in one place", counting over 30 vehicles in the area. The armed offenders squad was seen entering the building just before 8am, she said.
Evacuated people, including construction workers stationed at the Commercial Bay sites, were quickly escorted into surrounding buildings, including the Ferry Terminal.
It's understood further gunshots were heard at about 8am. Newshub cameras captured a man being carried from the scene by police, visibly covered in blood from the chest.
At around 8:50am, Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown told TVNZ he understood "the shooter's actually dead", but noted that hadn't been confirmed by police.
Shortly after 9am, Newshub reported the shooter was understood to be a 24-year-old man wearing an electronic bracelet who opened fire in his workplace: a construction site in the Commercial Bay precinct.
As of 9:30am, the surrounding roads had been closed, ferry services had been cancelled, trains had been diverted and buses through downtown Auckland had been detoured, with commuters urged to avoid the area.
At around 9:45am, Acting Superintendent Sunny Patel, Relieving Auckland District Commander, confirmed three people had died in the shooting - including the gunman.
"Multiple injuries have been reported and at this stage we can confirm two people have died. The male offender is also deceased. This incident unfolded after reports of a person discharging a firearm inside the site on lower Queen Street at around 7.22am," said Patel.
"The offender has moved through the building site and continued to discharge his firearm. Upon reaching the upper levels of the building, the male has contained himself within the elevator shaft and our staff have attempted to engage with him. Further shots were fired from the male and he was located deceased a short time later."
Authorities confirmed the shooting was an "isolated incident" and "not a national security risk".
During a press conference at 10:20am, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed that police officers arrived about 10 minutes after receiving the initial call from a witness at 7:23am.
Hipkins also confirmed the offender was armed with a pump action shotgun, which he discharged as he moved throughout the building. At the upper level, he contained himself in an elevator, the Prime Minister continued. Shots were fired and he was found shortly afterwards.
At around 11:40am, Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown expressed his sympathy and support for those impacted by the shooting, calling the incident "tragic and distressing".
"I can't remember anything like this ever happening in our beautiful city. This morning's events have been tragic and distressing for all Aucklanders, as this is not something that we are used to," Brown said.
"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."
In a statement shortly after 12pm, police confirmed six people - an officer and five members of the public - had been injured in the shooting, one of whom self-presented to the hospital. The officer was transported to hospital in a critical condition but his condition has since stabilised, while it's understood the civilians have injuries ranging from moderate to critical.
"While the situation and scene is still under active Police management, we know that there may be more victims yet to make themselves known to Police and these injury statuses may change," said Acting Superintendent Patel, who confirmed the building site had been secured and a scene examination was underway.
"There are upwards of 40 witnesses who were at or around the scene and they are in the process of being spoken to as part of this investigation. Police are still confirming the sequence of events in which the offender died, and we will continue to provide updates. As we have previously advised this is not a national security risk," he added.
"Police are liaising with the families of the victims, including that of the deceased, and we have engaged with Victim Support."
While public transport has largely resumed, there are still disruptions. Some bus services are continuing to operate to the city centre, but significant diversions remain in place around the downtown area, Auckland Transport advised. Train services are operating to Britomart, but passengers will need to enter and exit the station through the Takutai exit at the eastern end of the station. Ferry services have resumed at the Downtown Ferry Terminal, which has reopened.
Police are reassuring the public that they can continue to come into the CBD, but must stay clear of the cordon at the lower part of Queen Street.
If there is anyone who was involved or witnessed today's events and haven't made themselves known, you are asked to contact police via 105 as soon as possible.
At around 1pm, Police Commissioner Andrew Coster held a press conference to provide an update on the response to and investigation into the shooting. He said the shooter had been sentenced to home detention but had been granted an exemption to work at the site. He had a history of family violence and did not have a firearms license.
