Lynnmall terror attack survivor tells inquest of ongoing trauma

RNZ News

2 days ago

A survivor of the Lynnmall terror attack, nearly four years ago, broke down in tears as she told the inquest into the death of Ahamed Samsudeen of the physical and emotional scars that continue to take a toll on their everyday lives.
Samsudeen stabbed five people, and injured two others at a Woolworths supermarket in Auckland's New Lynn, before he was shot and killed by police.
He had been granted refugee status in 2013, was identified by the SIS as a terrorist threat in early 2017, and was under surveillance at the time of the attack.
Phase one of a five-week inquest delving into the events of 3 September, 2021 and Samsudeen's path to extremism, and the management of him in the community, has commenced at a coroner's court on Wednesday.
A survivor, who has name suppression, told the inquest that simple triggers like the smell of milk, the sound of screaming, or the wail of sirens can abruptly transport them back to that terrifying moment.
Ahamed Samsudeen visiting the New Lynn Woolworths about a month prior to the attack.
Photo:
Supplied
"For some the mere thought of entering a supermarket has become an insurmountable obstacle and a stark reminder of the trauma we continue to endure," she said through tears.
She said seemingly ordinary experiences can leave them feeling emotionally drained and unable to lead the lives they once did.
"We find ourselves in a constant state of high alert, caught in a relentless cycle of fight flight or freeze, this heightened awareness is an exhausting burden that complicates our ability to navigate everyday life," she said.
Photo:
2021 Getty Images
She said many survivors still suffer pain and long term nerve damage to their faces, legs and arms, and while some have received formal post-traumatic stress disorder diagnoses through ACC, others who witnessed the violence and had intervened to help others have been left behind and are not being supported financially to address their trauma - "All of those bills come at a cost to the innocent," she said.
The survivor said their group want to seek answers through this inquest around the circumstances that allowed the terror attack to unfold.
She added that it's also their right to question why meaningful change to implement
legal changes
to protect New Zealanders from people who posed a security threat, like Samsudeen, took so long to implement.
She said by comparison, the government's swift legislative changes to gun laws following the 2019 Christchurch Mosque attacks showed that it's possible to act swiftly in the aftermath to an act of violence.
The survivor said she felt the government failed to give the same level of urgency and consideration in its response to the Lynnmall terror attack.
Ahamed Samsudeen coming out of the New Lynn train station, on the day of the attack on September 3, 2021.
Photo:
Supplied
An extended CCTV compilation video capturing Samsudeen's journey to Lynnmall on 3 September, 2021, has been played to the inquest.
The videos captured Samsudeen as he walked from the mosque in West Auckland where he stayed to a local dairy, before boarding a train that took him to the New Lynn train station.
Samsudeen is seen wearing a camouflage hoody with the word "legacy" printed on the front, and a pair of matching camouflage pants.
CCTV footage also captured Samsudeen waiting outside Woolworths New Lynn in a queue, keeping social distancing as it was during the Covid-lockdown period.