Axe-wielding man attacks diners at 3 Chinese restaurants in New Zealand
- A 24-year-old suspect was arrested following the rampage in an Auckland suburb that left four victims in hospital
- During his court appearance, the defendant – whose name has been temporarily suppressed – was helped by a Chinese language interpreter
Police said the man began the attack at about 9pm on Monday in the north Auckland suburb of Albany. They said they arrested a 24-year-old suspect at the scene and had charged him with wounding, with the intention to cause grievous bodily harm. Police did not immediately offer a motive for the attack but said they had no evidence it was racially motivated.
Auckland City Hospital said on Tuesday that 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.”