Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the guy who attacked six innocent grocery shoppers today before being shot dead by police was an “Isis-inspired known threat” who was under “continuous police observation.”

Authorities in New Zealand claim they have shot and killed an ISIS supporter who injured at least six people Friday in a supermarket “terrorist attack” in the Auckland suburb of New Lynn.

“This afternoon at approximately 2:40 p.m., a violent extremist undertook a terrorist attack,” said Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in a news conference Friday afternoon.

“This was a violent attack, it was senseless, and I am so sorry it happened.”

Ardern added that the man was a Sri Lankan national, a “supporter of ISIS ideology,” and a “known security threat.”

He was constantly being monitored by a number of government agencies, and security forces were able to shoot and kill him within 60 seconds of the attack’s start, she claimed.

According to New Zealand Police Commissioner Andrew Coster, the attacker grabbed a knife within the store before being shot by police. The individual was pronounced dead on the spot.

As the incident progressed, videos released online showed scared consumers fleeing the LynnMall Shopping Centre in search of safety.

Six people were hurt, with three in severe condition, according to emergency crews. Security forces and paramedics and authorities have closed off the surrounding streets.

The attacker arrived in New Zealand in 2011 and was identified as a person of interest in October 2016, according to authorities.

Ardern did not reveal the man’s identity publicly, claiming that he had already been in court and that suppression orders prohibited officials from disclosing specific information about him.

The Prime Minister went on to say that she had been “personally aware” of him prior to the attack, and officials were keeping an eye on him because they couldn’t keep him in prison.

“I acknowledge this situation poses questions about whether police could have acted faster or done more,” Coster said.

“I am confident we have done everything we can within the law … we were doing everything we could to monitor him. The fact we were able to react within 60 seconds shows that.”

Due to an increase in coronavirus infections, Auckland was already under a Level 4 lockdown, the country’s most restrictive level, which means most shops are closed and most people must stay at home. Supermarkets continue to operate as a necessary service.

The supermarket giant Countdown, which owns the LynnMall outlet, issued a statement saying it was “devastated” by the attack.

“Our hearts are heavy knowing what our team and customers have witnessed and been through,” the statement said.

Since a white supremacist shooter massacred 51 people at two mosques in Christchurch on March 15, 2019, New Zealand has been on high alert for strikes.

When asked if the Friday attack was retaliation for the 2019 mosque shootings, Ardern replied it was unclear. She claimed that it was a guy, not a faith, who was to blame for the violence.

“It was hateful, it was wrong. It was carried out by an individual, not a faith,” Ardern said.

“He alone carries the responsibility for these acts.”