Auckland Shooting: The Tragic Loss of Solomona To'oto'o and Tupuga Sipiliano
Key Highlights :
On Thursday, July 23rd, 2021, tragedy struck the city of Auckland in New Zealand when a gunman opened fire at a construction site, killing two men and injuring ten others. The two men who were gunned down have been identified as Solomona To'oto'o, 45, and Tupuga Sipiliano, 44. Their families, friends, and colleagues are now mourning the loss of their loved ones.
The gunman has been identified as 24-year-old Matu Tangi Matua Reid. He was later found dead after engaging in a shootout with police. It is not yet known what his motivation was for the shooting, but New Zealand’s Police Commissioner Andrew Coster has suggested that it may have been influenced by “workplace tension”.
Mr To'oto'o and Mr Sipiliano were both from Wattle Downs and were work colleagues of Reid. Family and friends paid tribute to Mr Sipiliano on social media, with one loved one writing “Gone too soon. Rest in peace”.
Reid had been sacked from his job on the building site the day before the shooting. He was also being monitored by correctional services via an ankle bracelet at the time he stormed the site. This was because he had been handed a five-month home detention sentence for committing a serious assault in 2021.
The assault, which occurred on September 16th, 2021, left his partner with a fractured bone in her neck. According to court documents, Reid became angered by something his partner said, leading to a verbal altercation. He then pushed her off a chair and threw an object at her head that struck and injured her right eye, before threatening to “take out” her and her entire family. He then kicked her, causing her to fall backwards onto the bed where he seized her throat and cut off her breathing for up to 10 seconds.
Witnesses at the construction site said that Reid had been “aiming at people” during the rampage and appeared “angry” and was “yelling out to people” as if he was looking for someone. It is believed he had targeted his victims after going straight to the third floor of the building site to the office of construction company, LT McGuinness.
Out of the 10 people who were injured, four remain in hospital receiving treatment. One male police officer who was shot has had surgery and is recovering in hospital while another officer is recovering at home.
The shooting has understandably left the city of Auckland shaken. The families of Mr To'oto'o and Mr Sipiliano are now mourning the tragic loss of their loved ones. The police have extended their sincere condolences to the families. The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of gun control and mental health awareness. Our hearts go out to all those affected by this tragedy.
