Rānui alleged stabbings: Elderly victim didn’t realise he was wounded until he removed his jacket

The elderly victim of a random alleged stabbing in West Auckland thought he was touched on the shoulder before taking off his jacket and finding his white shirt covered in blood.

Two people were arrested on Tuesday after multiple people were allegedly stabbed in separate incidents near a medical centre in Rānui.

A man who gave his name only as Shoeb said his 70-year-old father, who did not wish to be named, was walking back from the Rānui Pharmacy after his daily prayers at a nearby mosque when the alleged attacker came out of a building.

As the man rushed past, he believed he had just patted him on the shoulder. But when the police, who were chasing the man, asked where he ran to, the 70-year-old felt “something wet” in his jacket.

“So when he took his jacket off, his white shirt was completely drenched with blood,” Shoeb told the Herald.

Two people were allegedly stabbed near the Swanson Rd medical centre. Photo / Google Maps

His father has been in hospital since the incident, which left him with three stitches and a 2cm deep wound.

It was lucky that his shoulder was injured rather than a vital organ, Shoeb said.

Regardless, he is in for a long recovery.

“He can’t move his right arm, he’s going to end up relying on the family members to do simple things [for him] like moving things around.”

Shoeb said he was worried his father, a Rānui resident for more than a decade, would be too traumatised to walk around the community again.

“He’s old, but he’s very mobile. He likes to walk ... It’s terrible.”

Shoeb said he was also concerned about the safety of his wife and children as they walked around the suburb.

“With my family members and with my parents who are like at a vulnerable age, I’ll always have that thing in my mind, that will always be a worry for me.”

It was difficult explaining to his children what had happened to their grandfather, he said.

He had heard of violent incidents happening in the area before, but never a random one such as this.

Two stabbing incidents in suburb

Police said they were called to an area of residential housing on Swanson Rd after reports of group disorder.

They found one person with non-life-threatening stab wounds.

“A 23-year-old woman was taken into custody over the incident, and the person with injuries was transported to a medical centre on Swanson Rd,” Detective Inspector Callum McNeill said.

Officers were with the victim when a separate incident unfolded outside.

Police saw a person running away after being stabbed in the head, and the offender chasing him.

McNeill said the offender was carrying a knife when he lunged at two officers, knocking one over and striking his body armour.

The offender then ran off and allegedly stabbed another member of the public in the shoulder.

The offender was then taken into custody.

A 23-year-old woman was arrested for wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) and is due to appear at Waitākere District on May 11.

A 29-year-old male was due to appear at Waitākere District Court yesterday, charged with wounding with intent to cause GBH, injuring with intent to cause GBH and assault with a weapon.