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Police investigating a double stabbing at a Grey Lynn dairy last night followed a trail of blood which led them to a weapon they believe was used in the attack.
Two people are in a stable condition in hospital after the violent aggravated robbery at Hylite Dairy in Great North Rd, about 7.15pm last night.
Detective Inspector Scott Beard said a male offender armed with a knife entered the dairy and waited until a customer left the store. He then walked behind the counter with the knife and without warning attacked the owner.
"Family members tried to intervene at which stage a 62-year-old woman was
stabbed and assaulted. The offender then fled from the dairy towards Turangi Rd.
"Two people received serious injuries and have undergone surgery and are in a
stable condition in hospital. The victims are related and are a mother and her adult son."
Beard revealed that the mother had also suffered a broken collar bone during the incident. He believed the offender was not acting alone.
One of the victims was initially critically injured. Both have now undergone surgery and neither has yet given a formal police interview.
Addressing media at a press conference this afternoon outside the cordoned off store, Beard said it was not believed anything was taken during the attempted robbery.
Asked if a weapon had been found, Beard said investigators followed a trail of blood last night which led them to a weapon they believe was used during the attack.
"Police have spoken to a number of people this morning and are currently speaking to one male who is helping us with our enquiries.
"However we would like to hear from any customers or persons who were around
the dairy at around 7.15pm last night. We believe there were a number of
people in the area at the time and are keen to speak to them.
"This was an unprovoked and violent attack. We have had a large team of
investigators working overnight on this incident and we are determined to
hold the person responsible to account."
Police wanted to reassure the community they were doing everything possible to
apprehend the offender.
"We acknowledge the public's concerns regarding this incident and are following strong lines of enquiry. Everyone in the community deserves to be safe and feel safe."
Police say 147 fog canons have been issued nationwide to high risk diaries, a large number of which are in Auckland.
Earlier today, a witness to the "unprovoked and violent" armed robbery told of seeing a man covered in blood and holding a knife.
Kaustab Roy, of Grey Lynn Fine Wine and Spirits, said he was serving a customer around 7.15pm last night when a man came in and asked him to call the police.
"I didn't understand why he was like that because I was with a customer, so I finished the trade and the guy came back.
"He told me to call police because someone had stabbed the people next door," he said.
"I took out my mobile phone and gave it to him so he could explain what he had seen to the cops."
Roy said he left the liquor store and saw the offender walk across the street.
"He walked away in front of me and he was around 22 years old. In his right hand was a knife and it was full of blood," he said.
Roy went to the dairy and found two people he knew well with serious injuries.
"I know them from working beside them.
"The guy was badly injured on his stomach and the back of his shoulder. His mother was also injured on the forehead and she was begging for help and screaming for an ambulance," he said.
"There was another guy who was living upstairs to their shop so he was helping to stop the blood and calling the ambulance at the same time."
A mother and her adult son are now recovering from surgery after being stabbed during the robbery at the Hylite Dairy on Great North Rd, Grey Lynn.
Auckland City District Commander Superintendent Karyn Malthus said detectives were talking to three people about the aggravated robbery.
"This appears to be an unprovoked and violent attack and police are determined to hold the offenders to account," Malthus said.
Auckland City Detective Sergeant Martin Friend said two men went into the store, one carrying a knife. After a "physical altercation" behind the counter they ran towards Tuarangi Rd.
"One person inside the store, a male, received stab wounds and is in a critical condition in hospital," Friend said.
"A second person received a wound to their stomach and head, and is in a less
serious condition."
Friend said it wasn't clear whether anything was stolen from the shop.
Police cordoned off the dairy last night and investigators worked until 4am.
Roy said the whole experience was "definitely a scary thing" but he hoped security systems inside the liquor store would help keep him safe.
"Working in a liquor store is obviously very dangerous but I had never thought it could be like that," he said.
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