Today is Thursday 11 September in New Zealand.

The eighth of September 2025 was the Monday just passed. There was meant to be a blood moon in the Auckland sky at 0600. It was also at that time, a tragic and dark day for New Zealand. It had been a very tragic and dark day for roughly three hours.

It was the day of the US Open Men’s tennis final to be contested by Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcarez. Which as a big, big, tennis fan I was very, very, excited for. I was keen to be up early to see the blood moon and then enjoy the tennis.

As it turned out, it was also the day that New Zealand father of three Tom Phillips was shot dead by police.

Shot dead in the early hours of the morning, around 0300, after reportedly having shot and seriously injured a police officer on a remote Waikato road during an exchange of gunfire. He was departing a burglary scene on a quad bike with his 12 year old Daughter Jayda. Tom had stolen food from a shop in Waitomo. The shooting happened not far from the small remote rural community and town where he had lived the large majority of his life. The police officer was reportedly badly injured but has survived.

The police laid spikes that Tom Phillip’s quad bike ran over shortly before the brief confrontation and shots were fired. Twelve year old Jayda was at the scene as her father reportedly fired first and was then killed by return gunfire from police.

I was up early to see the blood moon. I was on-time, it was nowhere to be seen. I looked everywhere and I could not see it. I walked onto the street and still, no moon. At all. Anywhere in the Auckland sky.

I did not know that Tom was dead until shortly after midday. I was immediately dismayed. I was mind-blown. For some reason, I was stunned.

I wasn’t upset about the blood moon, just mystified.

Maybe the blood moon was feeling too messed up.

Too hurt. And too ashamed. Devastated.

It averted its eyes and it chose to be somewhere else.

I am very pleased that Jayda, Maverick, and Ember are safe. I am happy that they are returned to society. I send them my best wishes, my best, best, wishes and hopes for their continued safety, wellbeing, and recovery from all this intense, intense, devastating, trauma. I hope that they are left unharassed by prying, invasive, insensitive, adults. Adults with ulterior motives. I hope that they are above all, comforted and allowed to feel safe. Well fed. Well slept. Warm. Cared for. I hope that they are being looked after with a lot of sensitivity by people who care only about the trauma that they have experienced and continue to experience. People who care very much about their grief.

I am very, very, sad that their father Tom is dead.

The eighth of September 2025 is a tragic, dark, day in New Zealand history in my opinion, as well as a day when three young children were returned safely to society.

I am very, very, saddened that Tom Phillips is dead and that those three children have lost their father. I am very, very, saddened that they have been through such an awful ordeal and have experienced so much trauma.