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Home / New Zealand

Auckland mall terror attack: Shopper heard 'terrifying scream' before throwing cans at attacker

NZ Herald
12 Sep, 2021 10:02 AM3 mins to read

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Focus: Eye-witness account of New Lynn terror attack
Ross Tomlinson was at the scene as a man stabbed several people in the New Lynn Countdown. His training saved lives. Video / NZ Herald
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      Ross Tomlinson was at the scene as a man stabbed several people in the New Lynn Countdown. His training saved lives. Video / NZ Herald
      NOW PLAYING • Focus: Eye-witness account of New Lynn terror attack
      Ross Tomlinson was at the scene as a man stabbed several people in the New Lynn Countdown. His training saved lives. Video / NZ Herald

      Rod Khan was going about his weekly shop when he found himself in the midst of a terror attack.

      The 53-year-old truck driver was one of many shoppers who were in LynnMall Countdown on September 2 when a man entered the supermarket and stabbed seven shoppers before being gunned down by officers of a police anti-terror squad.

      "I went to go grab the last two tins of tuna, then that's when we heard all the screaming," he told TV programme Sunday.

      Khan said there was a "terrifying scream" that sounded like someone was getting seriously injured.

      Police and the ambulance at New Lynn Countdown following a terrorist atttack. Photo / Hayden Woodward
      Police and the ambulance at New Lynn Countdown following a terrorist atttack. Photo / Hayden Woodward
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      Khan started to walk around the aisles to find where the noise was coming from before seeing a man with a knife attacking a woman.

      The man was 32-year-old Ahamed Aathil Mohamed Samsudeen.

      Khan said it looked as if the woman had been stabbed six to eight times in the "neck, chest and face areas".

      He said he couldn't run away and "needed to do something".

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      "I felt like this is someone's mum, this is someone's grandmother - I just couldn't bear it," he told Sunday.

      Read More

      • Auckland mall terror attack: All victims now out of ICU, stable in wards - NZ Herald
      • Auckland supermarket terror attack: Countdown to reopen a week after horror stabbings - NZ Hera...
      • Terror attack: Police give update on LynnMall stabbing victims - NZ Herald
      • Auckland mall terrorist attack: 'Lone wolf' Isis supporter identified as Sri Lankan refugee Aha...
      • Auckland mall attack: Isis-inspired terrorist stabs six shoppers at New Lynn Countdown supermar...

      Khan then threw two cans of tuna at Samsudeen.

      "When I was probably five to six metres away from him, I yelled out at him which made him stop stabbing the lady and he turned around and looked at me and that's when I threw the two cans."

      Two cans hit the attacker in the face.

      Discover more

      New Zealand|crime

      New Lynn shopper on why she filmed terrorist attack aftermath

      08 Sep 03:46 AM
      Opinion

      Auckland mall terror attack: Your questions answered

      08 Sep 01:08 AM
      New Zealand|crime

      Countdown LynnMall to reopen a week after terror attack

      08 Sep 11:30 PM

      Samsudeen then moved towards Khan with the knife. Khan said he retreated over a trolley and dislocated his shoulder.

      Samsudeen was under 24-hour police surveillance when he entered Countdown LynnMall and grabbed a knife from the supermarket shelves before running through the aisles shouting. He was shot dead by police as he went on his rampage.

      The 32-year-old had largely been in custody since May 2017 following his arrest at Auckland International Airport, as police believed he was attempting to travel to Syria to join Isis.

      Samsudeen's victims are now recovering, with some still in the hospital.

      Save

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