“Tragically the reason for this Givealittle page is that Kits Anne was randomly and tragically stabbed and killed by a stranger on the bus this week. “This senseless act of violence has, of course, devastated Kit and his extended family.”

“Kit needs our help and support now, so… we thought maybe we could reach out on his behalf to ease some of the financial burden he and his family will be carrying in the coming weeks.”

Members on social media marychurch family He said their “beautiful” mother “didn’t deserve this.”

After a 24-hour manhunt, the 37-year-old man surrendered for arrest on Thursday.

Marychurch died at the scene around 2.30pm on Wednesday following the attack.

The defendant appeared in the Auckland District Court on Friday on charges of murder, threatening to kill, assault and theft.

Auckland City’s acting regional crime manager, Detective Inspector Alisse Robertson, said on Thursday the investigation was still in its early stages.

“There is still much work to be done to piece together the events that led to this tragic incident.”

He commended the work of the investigation team, which “worked tirelessly to achieve this outcome for the victim and his family.”

The defendant surrendered to North Shore police station yesterday afternoon. The attack sparked renewed interest in public transport safety, and Robertson described the investigation as a murder.

A woman on the bus told RNZ her fellow passengers tried to help the victim.

“I want to let his family know that he did not die alone, that I held his hand on the bus until help arrived and that we did everything we could.”

Industry body Buses and Coaches Association said the sector was “shaken to its core”.

Meanwhile, Member of Parliament Dr Parmjeet Parmar He said security on buses and trains was regularly raised as a concern and the attack confirmed fears in the worst possible way.

“The attack comes a week after I raised concerns with Auckland Transport about a bus driver who was assaulted at work last month.

“In this case it took 40 minutes for the police to arrive and even at that point no medical assistance was provided. The government is amending the Criminal Code and bringing back Three Strikes to impose tougher sentences for serious crimes. However, more needs to be done to ensure safety in public transport.”

Katie Oliver is a multimedia journalist and breaking news reporter based in Christchurch. He joined the New Zealand Herald in 2024 after studying journalism at the New Zealand Broadcasting School.