As the condition of some of the victims of the attack in Auckland improved, the new details regarding Friday’s attack emerged.
Director-General Ashley Bloomfield, Health Director, said that three critically injured patients are still in intensive care. However they are stable and in good health. Police also stated that one of the critically wounded patients was now in a better condition. Bloomfield stated that a fourth patient is still in hospital and is stable. The three other patients have been released from the hospital and are now recovering at home.
Ahamed Samsudeen (32), was an attacker who arrived in New Zealand on a student visa 10 years ago. He was a Tamil Muslim and applied for refugee status based on his persecution in Sri Lanka. A civil war ended in 2009 when a Tamil rebel group was defeated.
Immigration New Zealand denied his application. However, he appealed and was granted permanent residence in 2014.
Samsudeen was first detected by police in 2016 for his online support of terrorism. By the year following, immigration agents had learned that he wanted to travel to Syria to join Islamic State insurgency. They began to review his immigration status because they feared he might be a danger.
After being found with Islamic State videos, knives and other items, Samsudeen was arrested in 2018. His refugee status was cancelled the next year after authorities discovered evidence of fraud.
“My understanding is that during the investigation into the terrorist it was discovered some of the documents he used to obtain his refugee status appeared to be fabricated,” Grant Robertson, Deputy Prime Minister, stated.
Samsudeen appealed and was granted leave to remain in New Zealand while his appeal is heard.
Although immigration authorities tried to convince Samsudeen that he should be kept behind bars, he was released in July.
He was being followed by police around the clock. Police feared he would attack and were unable to stop him. Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister, has stated that her government will amend the laws this month in order to increase penalties for terrorist plots.
Samsudeen was shot and killed by undercover officers outside the supermarket after he charged at them using the knife.
His appeal against deportation was to be heard in the latter part of this month, but coronavirus restrictions delayed it to a date that was not yet set.
Ardern stated that the terrorist attack was not over yet. “This was a frustrating process.”
