Christchurch mosque shooting: Jacinda Ardern had manifesto minutes before massacre

Jacinda Ardern’s office has confirmed it received a copy of accused Australian gunman Brenton Tarrant’s 73-page long manifesto just minutes before he carried out his mosque massacre.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s office has confirmed it received a copy of accused Australian gunman Brenton Tarrant’s 73-page long manifesto just minutes before he carried out his mosque massacre.

According to the New Zealand Herald, Ms Ardern’s office confirmed it got a copy of the document less than 10 minutes before the attacks began on Friday.

There were 70 other recipients who were emailed the manifesto, including National leader Simon Bridges and Parliament’s Speaker Trevor Mallard.

A spokesman for the PM’s office said it came to an email account managed by her office and not her private account.

“The mail was setting his reasons for doing it. He didn’t say this is what I am about to do. There was no opportunity to stop it,” a spokesman for Ms Ardern told the NZ Herald.

Once opened it was referred to Parliamentary security and then referred to police.

The news comes after a visibly drawn and affected Ms Ardern vowed her country’s gun laws would be toughened with revelations the semiautomatics used in the shocking massacre were legally bought.

Social media let massacre video stay up for 12 hours

‘We don’t hate Australia, he’s just a d**khead’

NZ terror: The victims and the missing

Jacinda Ardern speaking to representatives of the Muslim community at the Canterbury refugee centre. Picture: NEW ZEALAND HERALD/ LUCY BENNETT

Ms Ardern visited Christchurch to meet with those survivors and heroes confronted by the worst shooting in New Zealand’s history.

She unequivocally promised them things would change.

“There have been attempts to change our laws in 2005, 2012 and after an inquiry in 2017, now is the time for change,” she said firmly.

The firearms involved in the massacres at the mosques included two semiautomatic rifles, two shotguns and a lever-action weapon.

“The mere fact... that this individual had acquired a gun licence and acquired weapons of that range, then obviously I think people will be seeking change, and I’m committing to that,” she said.

“While work is being done as to the chain of events that led to both the holding of this gun licence, and the possession of these weapons, I can tell you one thing right now - our gun laws will change.”

Forensic experts collect evidence near one of the attacked mosques in Christchurch. Picture: AFP

Ms Ardern also said she was seeking answers as to how it was an individual could post warnings about what he was going to do but yet was not on the radar of intelligence agencies.

“I have asked our agencies this morning to work swiftly on assessing whether there was any activity on social media or otherwise, that should have triggered a response. That work is already underway. Given global indicators around far-right extremism, our intelligence community has been stepping up their investigations in this area.”

A weapon used in the Christchurch mosque attack. Picture: YouTube

So far New Zealand commentators have welcomed a move on gun laws with most saying the country could no longer consider itself immune from such events.

While in Christchurch, Ms Ardern offered sympathy to those killed in the tragedy and their families but also heaped praise on those emergency services who risked their lives while the gunman was still on the loose to attempt to help people.

“Many of you may have seen the footage of the arrests, and I can only describe it as an act of bravery on behalf of all New Zealanders, and an act that show very little regard for their own personal safety,” she said.

From kid to killer: Monster behind NZ massacre

Brenton Tarrant making a sign to the camera during his appearance, for murder, in the Christchurch District Court. Picture: New Zealand Herald photograph by Mark Mitchell

“I also want to acknowledge ambulance staff who many will have seen acting swiftly under horrific conditions, and all medical staff who continue to work with those who are injured.”

Reports yesterday emerged of other heroes.

Labour hire manager Carl Pomare and one of his colleagues were close to Linwood mosque at the time of the shooting and saw bloody people running for their lives.

“We saw them being shot,” he told local media yesterday. “Being mowed down as they were running away. I said to my mate ‘we need to do something’… my worker was nursing a guy who had been shot in the back three times, for about half an hour saying ‘hang in there buddy’. He passed away in his arms.”

Police search for evidence at a motel near the Masjid Al Noor mosque in Christchurch. Picture: AP

Others who live near the mosques also saw the running wounded and sheltered them in their homes, their religion and ethnicity seemingly meaning nothing, they were all Christchurch locals.

That sentiment was best captured by a bunch of flowers placed on the roadside near the Al Noor mosque: “No matter where you come from no matter your religion I am GLAD YOU ARE MY NEIGHBOUR”.

Funerals for their neighbours are expected to be held as early as today (Sunday) as authorities last night removed the bodies from the site with a long queue of hearses prompting dozens standing at police tape barriers to burst into tears.

Originally published as Christchurch mosque shooting: Jacinda Ardern had manifesto minutes before massacre