2021 Dunedin supermarket stabbing
On 10 May 2021, shortly after 14:30 NZST, four people were stabbed at the Countdown supermarket in central Dunedin, New Zealand. The victims were two shoppers and two staff members, reportedly in the area close to the supermarket pharmacy. The attacker stabbed four people in a rampage, seriously injuring three of them. All four stabbing victims were admitted to Dunedin Hospital, with three in the ICU; and was reported that all four remained in hospital, with three in serious but stable conditions.
| 2021 Dunedin supermarket stabbing | |
|---|---|
Ambulance outside Countdown in the aftermath of the 2021 Dunedin Countdown stabbing | |
| Location | Cumberland Street, Dunedin, New Zealand |
| Date | 10 May 2021 shortly after 14:30 (NZST (UTC+12)) |
| Target | Shoppers and staff at the supermarket |
Attack type | Mass stabbing |
| Weapons | Knives |
| Deaths | 0 |
| Injured | 5 (including the suspect) |
| Perpetrator | Luke James Lambert |
| Motive | Under investigation |
The motive of the attack is as of yet unclear, but the alleged perpetrator was in an apparently deranged state of mind. In a press conference, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said there was no evidence the attack was an incident of domestic terrorism. She praised the people inside the supermarket who helped fend off the attacker as heroes. Police district commander Paul Basham also praised the actions of those who intervened in the attack, describing their actions as "nothing short of heroic".
A 42-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder in relation to the stabbing. In early December 2021 the suspect, who was identified as Luke James Lambert, pleaded guilty to four counts of attempted murder. In early May 2022, Lambert was sentenced to 13 years imprisonment on those attempted murder charges.