USWNT players safe after New Zealand shooting near World Cup

All of the players and staff of the United States women’s national team are “accounted for and safe” following a shooting that killed two people in Auckland, New Zealand ahead of the 2023 women’s World Cup.

The shooting, which took place at 7:20 a.m. Thursday in a construction site near the hotel where Team Norway was staying, included multiple injuries.

“Regarding the incident in downtown Auckland, all of our USWNT players and staff are accounted for and safe,” U.S. Soccer Comms tweeted Thursday. “Our security team is in communication with local authorities and we are proceeding with our daily schedule.”

In a separate tweet, U.S. Soccer sent its “deepest condolences” to the families of the shooting victims.

Acting Police Superintendent Sunny Patel said after the shooting that the suspected gunman — now dead — went through the construction site on lower Queen Street and fired at people there.

“Upon reaching the upper levels of the building, the male has contained himself within the elevator shaft and our staff have attempted to engage with him,” Patel said in a statement. “Further shots were fired from the male and he was located deceased a short time later.”

Patel added that the shooting was an isolated incident and is not a national security concern.

On Thursday night, New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said that the World Cup will “proceed as planned.”

New Zealand Minister of Sport Grant Robertson added that all teams that were staying near the shooting are “safe and sound,” The Athletic reported.

The World Cup is set to begin on Friday at 3 a.m. ET when New Zealand takes on Norway.

The USWNT is scheduled to play Vietnam at 9 p.m. ET.