Kindy shaken after stabbing3 min read

Reading Time: 3 minutes

A kindergarten near the bus stabbing scene in Onehunga last month put themselves into lockdown after a police officer warned of a “dangerous man on the loose”.

Centre manager for Our Kids Early Learning Centre, Arti Shatty, learned of the incident when a parent living nearby told her that Church Street was cordoned off from the Captain Springs Road intersection. Within ten minutes, Arti received multiple calls from concerned parents unable to collect their children. Despite the quiet surroundings at the end of a long driveway, a helicopter overhead signaled that something serious was unfolding nearby.

“I walked to the end of the driveway, and a police officer informed me that the street was closed due to a crime scene,”Arti says. “The officer mentioned they were searching for an armed man, though he didn’t provide more details. We needed to know if we should go into lockdown, or if it was safe for the children to be outside.”

Confirmation of the stabbing came after a teacher phoned a friend living close to the scene, and was shocked to hear that a woman was stabbed on a bus, and the suspect was still at large.

Arti took immediate action, and ensured the safety of the 50 children and 15 staff members, by moving everyone inside and locking the doors.

“At the surface, we stayed calm, but internally, we were very concerned since the police weren’t sharing much information,” says Arti. She kept parents updated through a communications platform, even sending photos of the children to reassure them. Meanwhile, she walked up and down the driveway several times, seeking any updates on the situation.

“My phone was like a call centre that Wednesday,” she says.

As the clock neared 5pm, Arti faced the possibility of preparing dinner for the children if parents remained unable to pick them up. Eventually, she spoke to a senior police officer who confirmed that the suspect was in another area, and once the crime scene was cleared and the bus removed, the road would reopen.

As the road reopened, relieved parents arrived to pick up their children, grateful for the centre’s precautionary measures.

“The children were unaware of what was happening, and enjoyed ice cream and crackers as a special afternoon treat.”

Local businesses faced disruptions too. Workers initially thought it was a car accident, but soon realised the seriousness as more police arrived on the scene. Workers at one business were forced to carpool home as they were unable to retrieve their cars. “Luckily, a colleague parked on Captain Springs Road, so she took us home, and I got my car the next day,” one worker says.

Owner of Sweet and Me, Bert, was cleaning his shop when he saw police cars racing past. He parked his car on Church Street, and had to retrieve it later that evening.

Onehunga mourned Bernice Marychurch, the victim of the brutal attack. Fellow passengers attempted to help, one holding Bernice’s hand until emergency services arrived. Armed police searched for the suspect, later identified as Kael Leona, who surrendered the next day, offering some relief to the shaken community.

There was a heightened police presence in Onehunga too with one resident saying, “there was a police car on every street.