In the days after the LynnMall terror attack questions are mounting about what, if anything, could have been done to prevent such a tragedy.
Ahamed Aathill Mohamed Samsudeen had been under the watchful eye of officials since 2016 after posting extremist materials online and expressing support for terrorist groups like Islamic State. He was jailed in 2017 on various charges and spent time as a prisoner on remand.
It was just 53 days after he was released on supervision earlier this year that Samsudeen carried out the terrorist attack that saw seven injured - four critically - at the Countdown supermarket in New Lynn. All victims are now stable, though two remain in Auckland City Hospital in the intensive care unit.
His actions has led to a push for tighter immigration and anti-terrorism laws as it was revealed that the Government had been trying to deport him for years with allegations he was not a bona-fide refugee and he posed a national security risk.
But it is an approach that some describe as one that will fail to address the core issues driving people to extremism - and will pose problematic in cases where people can not be deported.
Anjum Rahman gave recommendations to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the March 15 terror attack. She says extremism across all ideologies exists in New Zealand.
"This person we did have an opportunity to deport him, but we know there are extremists of all kinds that we wouldn't be able to deport."
She says it is imperative that a focus is also made on diverting people away from ideologies that could result in violence.
The Government is working on a scheme it hopes will help tackle those at risk of violent extremism - but it's unclear what progress has been made.
Dr Clarke Jones an Australian-based criminologist was unavailable to be interviewed for this story, but in this opinion piece says the current approach to people like Samsudeen needs to change. He acknowledges the role police surveillance and monitoring play in keeping communities safe - but says this is not an answer in itself.
"The tragedy of 3 September shows that traditional law enforcement strategies to address extremism are not the only solution. We must address urgently and consider and try alternative approaches that seek to address causal factors."
Three years ago in this 2018 sentencing report he deemed the terrorists' risk was low, describing him as someone who "did not fit the characteristics of a person that seeks to commit violent acts against others"
In the same report forensic psychologist Dr Jeremy Skipworth also concluded that he was a "low risk of serious offending" and that his successful community reintegration required a significant amount of support.
There were some warning signs of his violent tendencies, with his probation officer describing him as having a "high sense of entitlement and a propensity for violence", concluding he had a medium risk of offending.
Jones writes an offer was made to help him via community-led intervention programme to support him in his transition out of prison - a programme he says had been successful in the past and was accepted by the Crown.
"It was my strong recommendation to the courts that addressing Samsudeen's original trauma should be one of the key goals in his rehabilitation, whether in the community or in prison."
One of the conditions to his being sentenced to a year of supervision was to participate in the rehabilitation programme with Just Community - an organisation founded by criminal barrister Aarif Rasheed.
But a source tells 1 NEWS that not only did this not happen, nor did he get access to any other rehabilitation programme.
"That was standard though, as rehabilitation is not available for remand prisoners."
The challenges of getting access to such programmes is something those in the criminal justice space have long been pushing to change, saying the system has a direct impact on their risk of re-offending.
Corrections has pushed back, saying it did try to engage with the prisoner even while he was on remand - but he refused.
National Commissioner Rachel Leota described him as a "very, very difficult person to manage" and was "increasingly openly hostile and abusive toward probation staff".
In a detailed statement sent out late on Monday evening Corrections described how he first came into custody in May 2017, being released briefly in 2018, before he was eventually released on July 13 2021 after being sentenced to 12 months supervision.
Leota says for the majority of this time he was managed as a remand prisoner at Mt Eden Corrections Facility - before being moved to maximum security in July 2020 at Paremoremo "for increased oversight".
"In prison his behaviour was non-compliant with multiple incidents of threats and abuse toward staff, including numerous incidents of throwing urine and faeces at staff, threatening the use of violence and assaulting staff."
Corrections went on to describe how it tried to get a psychological assessment, provide him with mental health support and support from the local Muslim community, "however, he did not engage in a meaningful way".
In 2021 the decision was made to release him into the care of the Masjid e Bilal, a small Islamic Centre in Glen Eden, West Auckland.
While in the community he was extensively monitored and efforts were made to engage him with a psychologist.
The leaders there have so far refused to comment, but other members of the Muslim community have questioned why the small centre was chosen when there was a larger organisation with more extensive supports available.
New Zealand Muslim Association president Ikhlaq Kashkari told RNZ it had reached out to help in his rehabilitation - but this offer was declined. He questions if things could have ended differently if the offer had been accepted.
"We're a large organisation. We have skills, capabilites, people and resources to support something like this."
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has acknowledged that while the terrorist had demonstrated a "pattern of reluctance to engage" there was room for critique.
"We know engagement occurred, but I think there is room for us to look in a bit more detail."
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