Latest news with #AhamedSamsudeen
RNZ News
18 hours ago
- Health
- RNZ News
Inquest into LynnMall attacker's death hears he had 'zero' chance of survival after being shot by police
Photo: 2021 Getty Images / NZ Herald / Greg Bowker A forensic pathologist says some of the gunshots fired at LynnMall attacker Ahamed Samsudeen went through vital organs, leaving him no chance of survival. The coronial inquest into Samsudeen's death has resumed in Auckland after a break on Monday. Samsudeen attacked four women and one man with a knife at a Countdown supermarket in Auckland's New Lynn in 2021 , before being shot and killed by police. Forensic pathologist Dr Kilak Kesha conducted the post-mortem on Samsudeen. He found drugs in his system, but also a small amount of alcohol, likely a by-product of decomposition. Antidepressants were also detected, he said. Kesha told the inquest on Tuesday that Samsudeen died quickly from the gunshot wounds. He said four of the wounds would have been rapidly fatal. "It means that the gunshot wounds hit vital organs, and without immediate medical attention survivability is zero." Bullets pierced Samsudeen's heart, spleen, intestine and lungs, he said. "The mechanism of death is exsanguination or blood los - all of [the bullets] contributed to blood loss, so all of them contributed to death." Police counsel Alysha McClintock asked Kesha about the overall impact to a person's body after being hit by as many bullets as Samsudeen was. "After the autopsy, looking at all the injuries, the survivability is zero," Kesha said. The coronial inquest continues. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
4 days ago
- RNZ News
Police knew LynnMall terrorist Ahamed Samsudeen was likely to commit an attack before immigration hearing, inquest hears
Ahamed Samsudeen. Photo: New Zealand Herald / Greg Bowker Police knew about the risk of Ahamed Samsudeen committing an attack before an immigration tribunal appeal hearing to determine his deportation, an inquest has heard. The inquest into the death of Samsudeen heard evidence the police had known in the month before the LynnMall terror attack that he was likely to commit an attack before an immigration tribunal appeal hearing that was scheduled to take place on 13 September 2021. A lawyer assisting the Coroner, Erin McGill, in her examining of a senior police officer from the National Security Group, referenced an application for surveillance warrant made by the police on 17 August 2021, which raised concerns about the risk of an attack before the appeal hearing. Samsudeen was at the time being stripped of his refugee status, but his deportation was pending the outcome of his appeal. McGill asked the senior police officer whether the team surveilling Samsudeen would be aware of this information relating to the risk of an attack, to which the officer said "I would've thought so". McGill acknowledged that around the end of August, the 13 September hearing date was being rescheduled to a later date due to delays during the Covid-19 lockdown and the fact that Samsudeen had changed his lawyer. It was unclear when the rescheduled date would be. According to a timeline from a coordinated review of the management of Samsudeen , released by joint government agencies in late 2022, Samsudeen first entered New Zealand from Sri Lanka on a student visa in 2011 and subsequently was granted refugee status. He was known to police for posting objectionable material depicting graphic violence as early as 2016. In 2017, a former flatmate of Samsudeen reported to police that Samsudeen told him he wanted to travel to Syria to fight for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and that he'd commit a knife attack if he was prevented from doing that. Samsudeen was arrested in May 2017 at an airport after attempting to fly overseas, and was charged with possession of objectionable material, and would spend nearly four years in remand in custody. The senior police officer from the National Security Group was asked whether the terror attack could've been stopped sooner if a surveillance officer had followed Samsudeen into the mall on 3 September. Samsudeen had just been released from prison seven weeks prior to the attack. He was serving a 12-month community sentence and was under 24-7 surveillance by covert police officers due to the high risk he posed to national security. The inquest heard that a surveillance officer - referred to as Officer D - had followed Samsudeen on the day, but decided not to follow him into the mall. Under questioning by McGill around why Officer D made that call, the senior officer said Officer D had been surveilling Samsudeen for seven weeks and noticed nothing unusual in his behaviour that day. He also conceded that Officer D likely didn't know that the Countdown (now Woolworths) supermarket sold knives. When asked by McGill whether there would've been a different approach to surveillance on the day, if the surveillance team knew the supermarket sold knives, the senior police officer said he couldn't directly answer that. McGill also noted that Officer D's evidence stated that Samsudeen was making positive plans for the future around the time of the attack, including making enquiries about employment and accommodation options. After a long line of questions, McGill asked the senior officer if he thought the attack could've been stopped sooner if Officer D had followed Samsudeen into the mall. The senior officer said "it had the potential to raise the alarm slightly earlier", but added it's uncertain whether it would've stopped the attack earlier. He said due to the covert nature of surveillance, the officer was unlikely to have been in the same aisle as Samsudeen to see what he was doing. He conceded that if a surveillance member had seen Samsudeen taking the knife off the shelves, that would've triggered the team to call the Special Tactics Group. Earlier when Coroner Marcus Elliott opened the inquest, he said it would not be revisiting the conclusion of the Independent Police Conduct Authority finding that two officers were legally justified in shooting Samsudeen, and that the surveillance officer who decided not to follow Samsudeen into the supermarket initially, had acted reasonably. However, he said that does not mean there was nothing to learn from the attack, and the inquest would discuss recommendations. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
5 days ago
- General
- RNZ News
LynnMall stabbing inquest hears emotional testimony from brave hero who aided victims
Ahamed Samsudeen coming out of the New Lynn train station, on the day of the attack on in September 2021. Photo: Supplied Two civilians, who'd earlier been awarded bravery medals for their courageous acts during the LynnMall terror attack in 2021, have given emotional testimonies at the inquest of Ahamed Samsudeen - with one of them sharing that they told Samsudeen on the day of the attack, "Your God does not condone this". Samsudeen stabbed five people, and injured two others at a Countdown supermarket in Auckland's New Lynn, before he was shot and killed by police. Michael Andrews held back tears as he recounted the events of 3 September 2021, particularly when he spoke of seeing the injured survivors. Andrews said he heard Samsudeen say to himself "Allahu Akbar" three or four times as he crouched over a victim. Andrews said he told Samsudeen his actions were wrong. "I firmly stated 'Your God does not condone this', before I yelled at him," he said. Michael Andrews, who awareded a New Zealand Bravery Medal for his actions following the mass stabbing, giving witness testimony on Friday. Photo: RNZ/Marika Khabazi Andrews said he was within 1.5 metres of Samsudeen, who subsequently came toward him with the knife. "He swung his knife aggressively towards me and with much more energy than when he had been stabbing and cutting [survivor] on the ground. "He went from zero to a hundred quickly and moved towards me to attack me," Andrews recalled. Andrews said he ran away and grabbed a metal pole for protection. He said he held the pole toward Samsudeen as the attacker continued to swing the knife toward him. Andrews said another shopper yelled at Samsudeen, eventually distracting him away. Andrews was emotional as he spoke of seeing an injured survivor on the ground. He said he'd asked another shopper to hold the hand of the survivor to keep her conscious, as he went to apply pressure to the wounds of another survivor. Off-duty paramedic Ross Tomlinson was another civilian who attempted to distract Samsudeen and stop him from attacking others. Tomlinson said he witnessed Samsudeen stabbing a person and told him to drop his weapon. He told the inquest he was then approached by Samsudeen. "I told Mr Samsudeen several times to drop the knife. He didn't respond and kept coming towards me. "He didn't run but was pacing towards me. His breathing was heavy with a deranged look on his face. "It was neither happy nor angry, but deranged or manic." Ross Tomlinson during his evidence into the inquest of Ahamed Samsudeen. Photo: RNZ/Marika Khabazi Tomlinson said Samsudeen was slashing his knife in the air and was saying with a raised voice, "Allahu Akbar". He said several other civilians were also trying to distract Samsudeen and asked him to put down the knife, before the two plain-clothed police officers arrived. Tomlinson said both officers had ordered Samsudeen to put down his knife before they shot him. "The commands from them were really, really clear. People from behind scattered when they were told to get out of the way. "There is in no world where he didn't hear that command very clearly, repeated and was given every opportunity to drop that weapon. He didn't do so. "As a matter of fact, they (the police) acted in my best interests to save my life. [It's] worth stating that those commands were very, very clear and he was afforded every opportunity to stop this violence," he said. Under questioning by a lawyer Anna Adams assisting the Coroner, Tomlinson said the two officers were the first to attend to Samsudeen after they shot him. He said he also unpacked some nappies from the shelves for helping with Samsudeen's wounds - however based on more than 10 years of experience as a paramedic, he felt Samsudeen couldn't have been saved. Tomlinson said he observed signs of "agonal breathing" from Samsudeen, which he said happens with people who are having a cardiac arrest or some form of internal haemorrhaging. He said Samsudeen's breathing quickly stopped and he believed that there was not much one could do to save him, and even life support may not have worked. Earlier when Coroner Marcus Elliott opened the inquest, he said it would not be revisiting the conclusion of the Independent Police Conduct Authority finding that two officers were legally justified in shooting Samsudeen, and that the surveillance officer who decided not to follow Samsudeen into the supermarket initially, had acted reasonably. However, he said that does not mean there was nothing to learn from the attack, and the inquest would discuss recommendations. More to come... Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
6 days ago
- RNZ News
Police believed LynnMall terrorist Ahamed Samsudeen could attack 'with little to no warning'
Ahamed Samsudeen took a knife from a supermarket shelf and stabbed six people. Photo: Supplied Police believed terrorist Ahamed Samsudeen could carry out an attack "with little to no warning" at least a month before he attacked shoppers at an Auckland supermarket. A coronial inquest into Samsudeen's death continues today, after he was shot by police during a knife attack at Countdown LynnMall on 3 September, 2021. The coroner's counsel Anna Adams read the results of a threat assessment of Samsudeen from 5 August, 2021. "Based on current information available regarding intent and capability Samsudeen is assessed to pose a high threat for a lone actor ideologically motivated attack," she read. "And based on current information if an attack was to occur it would be of low sophistication, e.g use of a knife or a vehicle, and could occur with little to no warning." The coronial inquest continued to examine Samsudeen's criminal history. Samsudeen spent almost four years remanded in prison after police found weapons and objectionable material at his home in 2018. Providing evidence on behalf of police, Detective Senior Sergeant Jason McIntosh read the charges Samsudeen faced during that time. "Samsudeen [was] charged with the offences including possession of offensive weapons: a hunting knife and throwing star... And the possession of objectionable publications, [including] an islamic state video on how to kill non-muslims in which a masked man cuts the throat and wrists of a restrained prisoner," he recounted. By the time Samsudeen was sentenced in 2021, he had spent so much time in prison that authorities had no choice but to release him. Anna Adams summarised the High Court's decision. "The High Court concluded that because Mr Samsudeen had spent so much time in prison already he had to be credited that as time served and therefore the only option was to release him on supervision," she explained. She turned to McIntosh for clarification. "In terms of the position that police were in as of July 2021, is it a fair characterisation that the police were dealing with a person in the community who law enforcement were very concerned about but fundamentally was free to be in the community on supervision?" She asked. "Yes," he replied. The inquest continues with a forensic analysis of footage captured during the attack, including security footage. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
6 days ago
- General
- RNZ News
New Lynn stabbing attack: Supermarket visits 'insurmountable obstacle', inquest told
Ahamed Samsudeen coming out of the New Lynn train station, on the day of the attack on September 3, 2021. Photo: Supplied Content warning: This report contains content some may consider disturbing. The inquest into the LynnMall terror attack will see further analysis of video showing how the assault unfolded, when it resumes on Thursday. Ahamed 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. Survivors at the inquest on Wednesday watched a video of Ahamed Samsudeen pausing to put on a red glove inside the supermarket . He was then seen ripping a knife from its packaging and rushing at his first victim. What happened next scarred survivors physically and emotionally. One survivor, who had name suppression, told the inquest just how much of an impact the attack had on her. "For some, the mere thought of entering a supermarket has become an insurmountable obstacle," she said. "We are no longer the individuals we used to be, and coming to terms with this reality is profoundly difficult." Samsudeen's rampage ended after he was shot 12 times 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 on 3 September, 2021. Detective Senior Sergeant Jason McIntosh told the inquest about the moment authorities noticed a change in his social media posting. "Recent content continues to reference Jannah, in brackets 'afterlife', and death, he's referenced literature on lone wolf terrorism" McIntosh said. "Samsudeen has begun to increasingly include his own commentary when posting, which may assist with understanding his mindset going forward." The inquest was shown footage of Samsudeen's previous trip to the supermarket - roughly a month before the attack. He could be seen walking to the knives aisle, appearing to take special notice of the items on the shelves. McIntosh was questioned by police counsel Alysha McClintock over Samsudeen's movements in the time leading up to the attack, as recorded in surveillance logs. "Once it was understood that Mr Samsudeen had visited the New Lynn Countdown previously on the 12th of August, the footage we've just seen, was there subsequently by one of your colleagues, an endeavour to go through the surveillance logs and look at the locations that might have had knifes and or other weapons that Mr Samsudeen had visited," McClintock asked. "Correct, yes" McIntosh replied. The logs revealed Samsudeen made about 119 visits to more than 60 different locations that could have had knives or other weapons. The lawyer representing the interests of Samsudeen's family, Fletcher Pilditch, asked McIntosh about the police surveillance of Samsudeen. "Was it the observations that had been made and recorded by the surveillance team that enabled you after the 3rd of September to then go and identify other places where he had been? "And I don't need to pry into where that information came from, I was just interested in the source of it," Pilditch said. "I do know that we compiled a list post investigation," McIntosh responded. The inquest was expected on Thursday to go through a frame-by-frame analysis of CCTV footage from the attack, as well as hearing technical evidence later in the day.
