New details have emerged about the seven people who were hospitalised following the horrific shooting in Auckland's CBD on Thursday.
Matu Tangi Matu Reid, 24, was serving a home detention sentence when he went to a construction site in Auckland's CBD and opened fire, killing two people and injuring six. The gunman was fatally shot by police.
During the shooting spree, a police officer was injured. Newshub can now reveal he was shot and is suffering from "significant injuries".
Hato Hone St John Emergency Ambulance operations manager Stuart Cockburn told AM on Friday 10 patients were treated by staff, seven of whom were taken to hospital. Cockburn revealed one patient who was in a critical condition is now stable.
"What I can say is the seven patients that we did transport all had gunshot wounds of varying levels," he said.
Police are still trying to identify the two people killed.
Appearing earlier on the programme, NZ Police Association President Chris Cahill said out of privacy he would not comment on the condition of the injured police officer but said his injuries were significant.
"He's got some significant injuries that will take quite some time to recover from. My thoughts are really with him and his whānau, and of course, also with the three whānau who are grieving after the tragedy yesterday," Cahill said.
He also acknowledged the bravery of the officers who responded to the horrific attack on Thursday morning.
"These are probably some of the most difficult and dangerous situations to be involved in. You've got so little information, changing information and these officers have to go forward," Cahill said.
"I am incredibly proud of the bravery shown by those officers yesterday.
"Right from the young constables who got their first, set up cordons, to the more highly trained specialists who went in and cleared that scene and clearly put their lives at risk.
"It just goes to the professionalism of the New Zealand police."
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has also thanked the brave members of the New Zealand Police who responded to the Auckland CBD shooter, as well as the ambulance first responders who were quickly on the scene.
"I want to thank the brave men and women of the New Zealand Police. Police who ran into fire from the gunman straight into harm's way in order to save the lives of others," Hipkins told reporters on Thursday.
"These kinds of situations move fast and the actions of those who risk their lives to save others are nothing short of heroic."
