Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Ward councillor Josephine Bartley has labelled yesterday’s fatal stabbing on a bus in Auckland’s Onehunga as “unacceptable”, while Mayor Wayne Brown labelled the act “senseless”.
Kael Leona this afternoon handed himself into police on the North Shore, following yesterday’s attack on a woman on the route 74 bus around 2.30pm yesterday.
Acting Detective Inspector Alisse Robertson said earlier today Leona, aged 37, was wanted following the incident.
She said the victim died at the scene and it was believed she and her alleged attacker were not previously known to each other.
On social media today, Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown said “this senseless act leaves us all feeling shocked and numb”.
“I extend deepest condolences to the family and friends of the victim. This is now a matter for police. I hope they bring the offender to justice quickly.”
Brown earlier described the attack to 1News as “horrible”, calling it an “attack on all of Auckland”.
“That sort of stuff is dreadful for the person who was killed, and we’ve got to feel really sorry for their family.
“It’s dreadful for the other people on the bus; it’s dreadful for Auckland Transport and getting bus transport to be more popular; and it’s dreadful for Auckland city.”
He said such incidents affected Auckland’s reputation internationally and sent a message that “we were becoming more and more unsafe”.
‘Shock and worry’
Speaking to Breakfast this morning, Bartley said there was “shock” and “worry” in the Onehunga community following the attack.
“Just hoping that the police can catch this person as soon as possible,” she said.
Bartley said it was “unacceptable” that someone had died after being stabbed on a bus.
“That’s not us as a society, and we don’t want people to be scared to continue with their lives. Otherwise, no one’s going to leave the house.
“People need that reassurance that everything that can be done is being done to keep them safe when they’re out and about using public transport.”
Bartley said councillors constantly raised measures to combat violence on public transport, including GPS systems, CCTV, and panic buttons, which help direct police to the location of the incident.
“So, there are measures put in place, but at the same time, we are looking at putting in place some screens for the bus drivers.
“We can always do more.”
Bartley said there had been discussion around putting security guards or even police officers on buses and trains.
“It’s very much on our radar.”
She said the best reassurance she could give passengers was that police were doing “everything they can” to make sure the person responsible was caught.
While a bus journey should be “uneventful”, Bartley said, “you’ve got to be careful as well”.
“Because you’re interacting with the public, you don’t know what you could come across, but you’ve just got to be careful.”
In a post to X yesterday, Police Minister Mark Mitchell called the attack a “senseless homicide” and offered his thoughts and prayers to the victim’s family.
He also revealed that police were continuing to search for the offender, who they had identified.
“This gratuitous violence has no place in our communities,” he said.
Auckland Transport public transport director Stacey van der Putten said yesterday the well-being of passengers was the organisation’s “top priority”.
“We are working with police and our bus operator to fully understand this afternoon’s incident.
“Passengers travelling onboard our bus, train and ferry services deserve to be safe and feel safe, and we are committed to working with our partner agencies and communities to turn the tide on violence and aggression in our public spaces.”
Transport Minister Simeon Brown told Breakfast his heart went out to the victim’s family and that the incident showed why the Government was going to have a “real focus” on law and order.
“We need to have a consistent approach to how we improve passenger safety across the country as well,” he said.
“So we’ve asked the Ministry of Transport and NZTA to be working together on that issue. I’ll be talking to the Police Minister later today around this incident, meeting with Auckland Transport later next week to talk about this issue as well because there is more we need to do.”
Labour MP Kieran McAnulty called the attack “horrific”.
“You can’t help but be upset by this. Obviously, our thoughts are with the family of the victim, but also the driver and their colleagues and any other witnesses that had been there for this.
“It’s just awful … I think the whole country is shocked, actually, because if you get on a bus, you feel safe, and there is a lot of emphasis on passenger safety, but this overshadows the whole thing.
“It’s not the sort of thing that I, or I think most MPs, would want to make a political point about. It’s just to acknowledge how awful it is.”
Mum of teen allegedly attacked on bus earlier this year reacts
The mother told Breakfast about the horror she felt after hearing of the latest attack in Auckland’s Onehunga on Wednesday, where the person later died of their injuries. (Source: Breakfast)
The mother of a girl who was assaulted on a bus earlier this year said her “heart sank” when she found out about yesterday’s attack.
“Tears welled in my eyes because that could have been my child, and I care for this family,” she told Breakfast.
“They boarded that bus in good faith and trusted that it was going to get them safely to their destination.”
She said it was another incident that was part of a “concerning trend” of violence aboard buses in the city.
Auckland Transport data showed 44 violent assaults on bus drivers alone were reported this year.
“We have this right to feel safe on public transport and now we don’t feel safe.”
The latest assault highlighted a need for stronger safety measures on Auckland buses.
“The powers that be need to make sure that it’s safe for all by doing things like increasing security, improving high-definition surveillance, faster emergency response, and potentially tougher penalties so that people aren’t likely to repeat this type of behaviour,” the mother said.
“This is a public system we’ve come to rely on, to get to school, to get to work, to essential places, and if we lose that trust of the safety on the buses, we’re risking isolating parts of our community and making travel inaccessible.”
She felt that since her daughter was allegedly assaulted “the ball has been dropped” when it came to improving safety.
“I think it’s time that they take immediate action and put in additional security measures that are not just short-term but are long-term.
“And somehow identify the root causes of these violent acts so that it doesn’t happen again.
“If nothing happens, it won’t be the last event.”
