Four hurt in stabbing rampage in New Zealand

Four people have been wounded in a stabbing attack in Auckland in New Zealand, police said.

Brave bystanders surrounded the man after he began attacking people and one person was able to bring him down using a walking crutch, police commander Naila Hassan said.

“Members of the public acted with extreme bravery,” she said.

“It absolutely could have been a lot worse and that’s why I really need to acknowledge the bravery of those members of the public.”

The police commander said Thursday’s attack in Auckland was random and the suspect was in custody.

There was no indication the attack was a hate crime as the victims were of different genders, ethnicities and ages, she added.

“This was an extremely fast-moving incident, where our police staff responded quickly, apprehended the offender and prevented further harm to our communities,” Ms Hassan said.

All victims suffered moderate injuries, she said.