Media reports had suggested the trip would begin as soon as Sunday and last two days
New Zealand police on Friday shot and killed a "violent extremist" known to the police, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said, after he stabbed and wounded at least six people in a supermarket.
The attacker, a Sri Lankan national who had been in New Zealand for 10 years, was inspired by Daesh militant group and was being "monitored constantly", Ardern said.
"A violent extremist undertook a terrorist attack on innocent New Zealanders," Ardern told a briefing.
"He obviously was a supporter of Daesh ideology," she said, referring to Islamic State.
The attacker, who was not identified, had been a "person of interest" for about five years, Ardern said, adding that he had been killed within 60 seconds of beginning his attack in the city of Auckland.
Police following the man thought he had gone into the New Lynn supermarket to do some shopping but he pulled out what one witness described as a large knife and started stabbing people.
"We were doing absolutely everything possible to monitor him and indeed the fact that we were able to intervene so quickly, in roughly 60 seconds, shows just how closely we were watching him," Police Commissioner Andrew Coster told the briefing.
Coster said the attacker was acting alone and the police were confident there was no further threat to the public.
New Zealand has been on alert for attacks since a white supremacist gunman killed 51 people at two mosques in the city of Christchurch on March 15, 2019.
Ardern, asked if the Friday attack could have been revenge for the 2019 mosque shootings, said it was not clear. The man alone who was responsible for the violence, not a faith, she said.
"It was hateful, it was wrong. It was carried out by an individual, not a faith," Ardern said. "He alone carries the responsibility for these acts."
'SOMEBODY GOT STABBED'
A video posted on social media showed shoppers in the supermarket seconds after the attacker struck.
"There's someone here with a knife ... he's got a knife," a woman can be heard saying. "Somebody got stabbed."
A guard asked people to leave the shopping mall shortly before about six shots rang out.
Ardern said that up until Friday, the man had not committed offences that would have led to his arrest and detention.
"If we had reached a threshold for him to be in prison, he would have been in prison," she said.
Asked if, since authorities were aware of the man, she was disappointed when she heard news of the attack, she said: "Yes, because I know we have been doing everything we could ... so I was absolutely gutted."
Of the six wounded people, three were in critical condition, one in serious condition and another in moderate condition, the St John ambulance service said.
Witnesses told reporters outside the mall they had seen several people lying on the floor with stab wounds. Other said they heard gunshots as they ran out of the supermarket.
Videos posted online earlier showed panicked shoppers running out of the mall and looking for cover
In May, four people were stabbed in a supermarket in Dunedin on New Zealand's South Island.
Media reports had suggested the trip would begin as soon as Sunday and last two days
Visitors can enjoy movies with family favourites, including ‘The Jungle Book’, ‘Jumanji’ and ‘Zootopia’ to match the wild theme every evening from 8pm
Sheikh Mohamed conveyed his congratulations to all eight honourees, recognising their inspiring efforts and significant contributions in service to society
His father thanked everyone who participated in the search mission despite the challenges posed by flooding in various parts of the emirate
It will be humid by night and Sunday morning with a probability of mist formation over some coastal and internal areas
Nearly 6,000 volunteers linked to a single support group are working tirelessly across the country to help those affected
Real estate developer MAG pledges to cover all the costs of necessary repairs for affected residents
The substantial increase in charges left many residents financially burdened, as they strive to retrieve their stranded vehicles