The 32-year-old man obtained a knife from a store in the Auckland suburb of New Lynn and used it to stab shoppers before police shot him, according to authorities, who have described him as ” terrorist attack “.
Five people remain in hospital, including three in critical condition, Ardern said at a news conference Saturday.
A removal order has now been lifted hiding the man’s name and other details from the public, after the New Zealand government challenged him. However, these details cannot be made public until Sunday, after a court gave the man’s family a 24-hour window to ask for new removal orders.
The assailant, described as a “supporter of ISIS ideology,” spent three years in prison after being accused several times of possessing hunting knives and nasty posts, Ardern said.
The man, a Sri Lankan national, arrived in New Zealand in 2011 on a student visa. It first came to the attention of police in 2016, after posting comments in favor of violent extremism on social media.
He was initially arrested at Auckland Airport in 2017, which was believed to be bound for Syria. Police also found “restricted publications” and a hunting knife in his apartment. He was accused of possessing the articles, pleaded guilty and was released on bail.
But in 2018 he was arrested again to buy a knife on bail. A subsequent police investigation found more “nasty or extremist materials” in his home.
He faced additional charges and remained in custody until July this year, when he was sentenced to 12 months of “special conditions supervision” for having objectionable materials and failing to assist police in exercising investigative powers. . Arden said prosecutors had run out of legal avenues to keep him in custody.
During his arrest, he assaulted correctional officers, Arden added.
Police had kept the man under constant surveillance since his release, and required up to 30 police officers at a time, Arden said.
Ardern said he had received information about the threat posed by the man in July, and again in August.
At the press conference, Ardern also promised to tighten anti-terrorism laws this month.
In August, Justice Minister Kris Faafoi pursued a change in the country’s terrorism law to make planning for a terrorist attack illegal, even if the attack is not carried out.
“As soon as Parliament is resumed, we will complete this work. That means working to pass the law as soon as possible and no later than the end of this month,” Ardern said.