A lockdown at Auckland's Sylvia Park mall has been lifted following reports of a shooting this afternoon.
A police spokesperson said officers have responded to an incident at the mall.
"The incident has concluded and there is no risk to public safety," the spokesperson said.
"There will be a continued police presence in the area as enquiries are undertaken however, so the public is asked to avoid the area.
"Further information will be released as soon as possible."
A witness at the traffic lights near Sylvia Park Mall told 1News she saw a man drive up next to her onto a traffic island and his car became stuck.
She said the man then got out of the vehicle with a large gun and began walking towards her vehicle. The man ran towards the mall after about five police cars and helicopter appeared.
'They shot him. Bang'
Witness George Heller told 1News he was putting his groceries in his car when he saw a man believed to be carrying a pistol run past him while being chased by around eight armed officers.
"And then they shot him – three shots. Bang."
The man was shot near the Footlocker store, Heller said.
A restaurant worker at the mall told 1News they heard multiple gunshots before a major police presence swarmed the mall carpark.
Another witness at H&M inside the mall said she was on the bottom floor when she heard "three to four gunshots".
"Next thing I know, we’re being told, 'go upstairs! Go upstairs! Go upstairs!'"
She said it sounded like the shots were coming from outside the mall. Multiple police cars and a cordon could be seen from the window of the shop.
Fire and Emergency NZ crews and St John were also at the scene.
Footage from a 1News cameraman shows police beyond a cordon holding up a white sheet to shield part of the scene from public view.
Shoppers had since been told they could leave through a specified exit through the back of the mall.
In a statement, local MP Greg Fleming said police had advised the incident was "no longer ongoing".
"If you're at the centre, please keep following the directions of police and staff," he said.
"To everyone caught up in this, shoppers, retail workers and the Sylvia Park team, I know how frightening this will have been.
"I'll be checking in with police and Sylvia Park management over the coming days to see what support is needed."
Three gunshots heard
A witness told 1News they were leaving the mall when they saw a man running across the road from the direction of Spotlight while being chased by police.
The witness said the man was wearing a white T-shirt, black hat and black glasses and was carrying what "looked like a rifle".
"As I grabbed my phone out I heard three gunshots," they said.
Geneva House, an office space in the Sylvia Park Precinct, was also in lockdown, 1News understands.
The two-level mall in Mt Wellington is the country's largest shopping centre.
Kiwi Property, which owns and manages the complex, said in a statement it was aware of the incident and "a portion of the centre was locked down as a precaution".
"The incident is now contained by NZ Police and while a portion of the centre remains cordoned off, the shopping centre is no longer in lockdown," a spokesperson said.
Detours and diversions were in place for multiple bus routes due to the "emergency services incident", Auckland Transport said.
SHARE ME