Four people have been rushed to hospital after a 24-year-old man wielding an axe allegedly attacked random diners at three neighbouring Chinese restaurants in New Zealand. Bystanders were forced to block the wood-splitter style axe being wielded by the man with their hands as he tried to strike their heads while they were sitting at their tables.
Police have arrested the 24-year-old in connection with the incident and said they expect to file more charges against him. They added that they believe he had acted alone.
Police said the man began the attack at about 9pm Monday in the north Auckland suburb of Albany.
They arrested a 24-year-old suspect at the scene and charged him with wounding, with the intention of causing grievous bodily harm.
The man, a Chinese national, made a brief court appearance Tuesday (June 20). Police did not immediately offer a motive for the attack but said they had no evidence it was racially motivated.
Auckland City Hospital said Tuesday one patient from the attack remained there in a stable condition.
North Shore Hospital said it had one patient with moderate injuries and a second with minor injuries, both of whom were in a stable condition, and had earlier discharged a third patient.
A diner told the New Zealand Herald newspaper he was eating dinner with a friend when the man walked in and started attacking his friend, who was seriously injured.
“I was in shock. When I realised what was happening, he tried to target me,” the man, who asked not to be named, told the Herald. “I blocked his axe with my hand. He was also trying to target my head, so I blocked the axe with my hand.”
The diner said the man with the axe chased them out of the restaurant and then turned around and walked into another restaurant.
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The Herald later posted an image of what appeared to be a wood-splitter style of axe lying on the sidewalk.
Surveillance footage posted by news website Stuff showed people fleeing from one of the restaurants, including one person who ran out backward holding a chair as a barricade followed closely by another person holding a weapon.
Police said they expect to file more charges against the man, who they believe acted alone. Police increased their presence in the area around the restaurants Tuesday.
“We acknowledge how frightening this incident was for those involved, and for the wider community, and we are ensuring there is support in place for both the victims and their friends and family,” Inspector Stefan Sagar said in a statement.
During his court appearance, the defendant was helped by a Chinese language interpreter. He was not required to enter a plea. He was granted temporary name suppression, a common outcome in New Zealand’s legal system.
