The shooting took place in central Auckland just hours before the World Cup was due to begin

Tragedy struck central Auckland as at least two people lost their lives in a serious incident described as a shooting, according to New Zealand public broadcaster RNZ.

The local police reported multiple injuries and confirmed the death of the male perpetrator.

An investigation is underway, and authorities have urged people to avoid the area of Auckland CBD on lower Queen Street in a building that was under construction.

“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,” local police said in a statement.

“Further shots were fired from the male and he was located deceased a short time later.”

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown is closely monitoring the situation, describing it as a “dreadful thing to happen in our city at a time when the rest of the world’s watching us over the football,” to RNZ.

“This is not something that happens here, in fact I’m shocked that it’s happened here,” Brown added.

A police officer is also believed to have been injured during the incident.

This incident casts a shadow over the commencement of the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Auckland, though the tournament is still expected to go ahead as planned.

Residents are advised to stay away from the city centre, and the mayor emphasised the seriousness of the situation, urging people to stay at home. 

“This is a scary situation for Aucklanders on their Thursday morning commute to work. Please stay at home, avoid travel into the city centre,” Brown wrote on Twitter.

New Zealand had previously banned military-style semi-automatic weapons after the Christchurch massacre in 2019, which left 50 people dead, as a way to pay tribute to the victims.