Reid died in a lift shaft after shooting several civilians and at least one police officer in the high-rise construction site this morning.
Three people are dead, including the gunman, after the incident at a construction site. Ten others have been injured, including police officers. Seven people have been taken to Auckland hospitals, including three in a serious condition.
He had approval to travel from the property he was serving home detention at in South Auckland to the building site.
His home detention sentence was monitored via an ankle bracelet monitor.
Reid had appeared for sentencing in the Auckland District Court earlier this year after admitting charges of impeding breathing, injuring with intent to injure, wilful damage, and male assaults female.
He was sentenced to five months’ home detention on the four charges when he appeared for sentence before Judge Stephen Bonnar, KC, on March 28.
Home detention generally requires sentenced offenders to remain at their approved home address, but there can be provisions allowing people to continue employment at a designated, approved workplace.
Police Commissioner Andrew Coster this afternoon offered his condolences to the family and friends of colleagues and victims, saying his investigation team was working at pace to determine the cause of the shooting.
Coster said police were at the site of the shooting within minutes this morning. The offender made his way up the site, and members of the public were evacuated whenever possible. Police then located the gunman in a lift shaft. The man fired at police, injuring an officer.
“This was a terrifying experience.”
Coster said it was a shocking and traumatic event for those who came to work and found themselves in the middle of an armed emergency.
The gunman did not have a firearms licence and Coster confirmed the weapon fired from the offender was a shotgun.
“There has been previous search of his property, but never found him in possession of a firearm."
Earlier, acting Auckland district commander Superintendent Sunny Patel said the incident unfolded after reports of a person discharging a firearm inside the building site at lower Queen St at 7.22am.
A significant number of police responded and cordoned off the area. The Police Eagle helicopter was also deployed and provided oversight.
“What has unfolded is understandably alarming and we are reassuring the public that this incident has been contained and is an isolated incident. We can also advise that this is not a national security risk.”
Stuart Cockburn, general manager of ambulance operations for St John, said they had assessed 10 patients and seven were taken to hospital.
No staff went into the building during the incident and he was proud of the response.
"Nobody comes to work expecting something like this to unfold."
Cockburn said staff were trained to manage these sorts of incidents and switched into emergency mode.
PM PRAISES 'HEROIC' POLICE
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins told media the offender was armed with a pump-action shotgun and it was with "deep sorrow" he confirmed that two people had died.
Today’s incident appeared to be the actions of one individual and were not seeking anyone else, he said.
His understanding is that there was no identified “political or ideological motivation” for the shooter and as such, there was no need to change the national security risk.
“I want to thank the brave men and women of the New Zealand Police," Hipkins said.
“Police who ran into fire from the gunman straight into harm’s way in order to save the lives of others. These kinds of situations move fast and the actions of those who risk their lives to save others are nothing short of heroic.”
"I also want to acknowledge ambulance first responders who were there quickly on the scene this morning.”
Hipkins reassured that the public were now safe.
The CBD building is one of New Zealand’s largest property projects and in the country’s busiest office worker district. The $275 million refurbishment and upgrade of the 21-evel One Queen St was nearing completion and expected to be ready for tenants next year.
The Government had spoken to FIFA Women's World Cup organisers this morning and the football tournament New Zealand is co-hosting with Australia will proceed as planned.
New Zealand tightened its gun laws after a gunman killed 51 Muslim worshippers in Christchurch in 2019 in the country's worst peace-time mass shooting. The Government has banned all military style semi-automatics and other deadly guns.
