Police respond to two mass shootings inside Christchurch mosques
Police in New Zealand have raised the death toll to 49 after the shocking Christchurch mosque attacks, with dozens more injured. It comes as one shooter was revealed to be an Australian, who livestreamed his horrendous act.
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Police in New Zealand have raised the death toll to 49 after gunmen opened fire on two mosques in Christchurch.
Four people are now in custody, three men and one woman.
One of those has been confirmed as Australian-born man Brenton Tarrant, 28, who wrote a 73-page manifesto declaring his evil intentions.
NSW counter-terrorism police are now investigating the Grafton man’s background after he was identified as the shooter.
HORRIFYING VIDEO INSIDE NEW ZEALAND MOSQUE
BANGLADESH CRICKET TEAM FLEE FROM SHOOTING
Tarrant livestreamed the moment he opened fire at the Masjid Al Noor mosque
killing 30. He killed a further 10 people at the Linwood Avenue mosque.
In total, 49 are dead from the attacks at multiple sites and up to 20 others are seriously injured.
Christchurch Hospital earlier this afternoon confirmed they were treating 48 wounded, whose injuries ranged from critical to minor.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said those involved were not on any active watch list.
Her message to the people who carried out the attacks tonight was: “You may have chosen us, but we utterly reject and condemn you.”
She said it’s “one of New Zealand’s darkest days”
KEY POINTS
— Gunman opened fire at Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch. Two other sites, including another mosque, are also crime scenes
— Police have confirmed 49 are dead, with up to 20 more seriously injured
— One of the shooters is an Australian man who live-streamed the attack
— The Bangladesh cricket team were at the Al Noor Mosque and escaped
— As of 5.30pm Melbourne time, New Zealand police were still treating it as an ongoing incident, urging Christchurch residents to stay indoors
New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush said the four people were arrested by local police in “absolute acts of bravery”, but said it should not be assumed the danger has passed.
“There have been a number of IEDs (improvised explosive devices) attached to vehicles intercepted by the defence force,” he said.
“The multiple fatalities are, as far as we know, at two locations. A mosque at Deans Ave and another mosque at Linwood Ave, Christchurch.”
He said they could not assume there weren’t others at large, but they were currently not aware of any additional people.
Police commissioner Bush said he can’t confirm the death toll, but calls it “significant”.
“We’re not assuming this is contained to Christchurch,” he said.
New Zealand security analyst Paul Buchanan has told Radio New Zealand’s Checkpoint program he is not surprised four people are in custody, but the alleged main perpetrator of the Christchurch shootings has previously said he was working with 10 people.
“There was clear tactical planning involved,” he said.
AUSTRALIAN TERRORIST’S MOSQUE ATTACK MOTIVE REVEALED
SONNY’S TEARS OVER CHRISTCHURCH ATTACK
As of 6.30pm Melbourne time, police were still treating the incident as ongoing and Christchurch residents were being strongly urged to stay indoors and keep safe.
“We are dealing with a very serious and tragic series of events in the Christchurch-Canterbury area … They involve an active shooter. They involve multiple fatalities,” he said.
HOW THE ATTACK UNFOLDED
Armed police were deployed as the shooting broke out shortly after 11.40am Melbourne time (1.40pm local time), with the city’s schools and hospitals put into lockdown.
In chilling footage believed to have been taken inside one of the gunmen’s cars moments after the massacre, he complains about his weapon malfunctioning and how easy it was to kill people.
“There wasn’t even time to aim due to there was so many targets,” the gunman says.
“And there were so many people, and the car park was full.”
An emergency siren is heard in the background as the man continues driving.
Music blares as he describes how the men were inside the building, but the women weren’t yet. He calmly speaks of how victims were scared and “ran pretty quickly”.
The Bangladesh cricket team were reportedly among the 200 worshippers present but they managed to escape.
But small children are said to be among the dead, and bodies have been reported laying on the ground outside. Christchurch Hospital was also put into lock down.
The body of a woman on a footpath was also seen outside the mosque. Witnesses also report seeing the body of a child nearby. Witnesses say the gunman was inside the mosque for six minutes before returning to his car to retrieve more ammunition. He then opened fire again.
“I saw people drop dead in front of me. I was crawling to get away,” a witness named Nour told the New Zealand Herald.
“It was hitting the walls,” he said.
Nour crawled across the floor of the mosque to a window that had been broken by others as they fled and jumped trough it.
He jumped over a neighbouring wall. He ran around the block and he could still hear shooting.
Mohan Ibrahim described to the Herald running for his life to escape the gunman. He was one of 200 people in Christchurch’s Masjid Al Noor mosque when he heard shots being fired.
Witness Len Peneha says he saw a man dressed in black enter the mosque and then heard dozens of shots, followed by people running from the mosque in terror.
He says he also saw the gunman flee before emergency services arrived Peneha says he went into the mosque to try and help: “I saw dead people everywhere.”
The shooter was stopped by New Zealand Police on Strickland Street in Christchurch.
A bomb was located inside his beige Subaru that was rammed by a police car, about 3km from the Al Noor Mosque where the first shooting took place,” the Guardian reports.
A police officer told a news reporter “you’re not safe here, there’s a bomb in that car.”
New Zealanders are reeling after the attack sent shockwaves throughout the country.
“We have now been affected by the virus of terrorism,” Mr Buchanan, a former intelligence and defence policy analyst and consultant to US government security agencies told 1 NEWSNZ.
“There are a whole bunch of white supremacists groups. We’re talking maybe a dozen groups of this sort mainly concentrated in the South Island.”
“It’s very possible this individual is still on the loose. There could well be some support network that’s actively trying to hide him.”
THE GUNMAN’S ALLEGED MANIFESTO
A manifesto, believed to have been penned by one of the alleged gunmen, detailed how he selected the mosques as his targets, describing how he’d planned the attack for two years.
The writer said he was 28 and of Scottish, Irish and English heritage.
Claiming to be an Australian, the writer said New Zealand was not his original choice but he decided to do it there because it was a “target rich environment”.
He spent three months on the specifics of the Christchurch attack, having abandoned an earlier choice of target in Dunedin.
Posing himself questions in the rambling document, the writer says of remorse: “No, I only wish I could have killed more invaders and more traitors as well.”
The writer cites ‘birthrates’, mass immigration and ‘white genocide’ as his motivations.
“Born in Australia to a working class, low income family,” the alleged gunman said.
“I am just a regular White man, from a regular family.
“Who decided to take a stand to ensure a future for my people.”
He denied being ordered to carry out the attack, saying he acted alone but was inspired by others including Norway mass killer Anders Breivik who murdered 77 people in terror attacks in 2011.
‘PRAYERS WITH KIWI COUSINS’
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he was horrified by reports of the serious shooting in Christchurch.
“The situation is still unfolding but our thoughts and prayers are with our Kiwi cousins,” he said.
Opposition leader Bill Shorten said Australia and New Zealand were family.
“We grieve with our brothers and sisters today. We send our love and condolences, our sorrow and solidarity in this terrible time of fear and pain and grief,” Mr Shorten said.
I'm horrified by the reports I’m following of the serious shooting in Christchurch, New Zealand. The situation is still unfolding but our thoughts and prayers are with our Kiwi cousins.
— Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) March 15, 2019
The Islamic Council of Victoria denounced those responsible as terrorists.
“Our thoughts and prayers is with ours brothers and sisters in New Zealand as they deal with the terrible killing of innocent members of the Ummah especially in the mosques,” said the council on its Facebook site.
“May Allah … grant sabr to their families as they deal with this senseless killing of their loved ones.
“We need to stand firm and not let these terrorists (that’s what they are) win in creating fear in our Community.
“Let us all join together and make dua for each of those killed or injured and their families. We hope that the Government of New Zealand will apprehend these terrorists and bring them to justice.”
Deputy Commissioner Wendy Steendam said there was no current intelligence to suggest there was any threat to the Victorian community.
She said there were no known links to Victoria from any of the suspects in custody in Christchurch.
Victoria Police were ramping up patrols and would “do everything we can” to be visible over the weekend, she said.
She said there would be a large police presence at places of worship and police were making sure people in the Muslim community felt supported.
Major events would also have extra police patrols.
“You’ll see a lot more police out and about this weekend,” she said.
Deputy Commissioner Steendam said she was “deeply saddened and horrified” by the terror attack.
Rabbinical Council of Australia and New Zealand’s treasurer, Rabbi Shmueli Feldman, said the council’s thoughts and prayers were with the victims, their families and friends “in the Muslim community and beyond”.
“We are deeply pained by the senseless acts of hate and murder that took place today at Mosques in Christchurch,” he said.
“An attack at a place of worship, indiscriminately targeting civilians, is just pure evil and an affront to all those who cherish life and freedom.”
Premier Daniel Andrews said Melbourne’s buildings would be lit up in New Zealand colours tonight “in solidarity” with Australia’s neighbours in the wake of the horrific attack, and flags will be flown at half-mast tomorrow.
“All acts of terror are evil. But there’s something particularly unspeakable about targeting a congregation gathered for peaceful prayer. About being so blinded by hate and resentment,” he said on Twitter.
“Victorians stand with Christchurch tonight, after this darkest of days. And we must all stand against the forces in our society that try and stir up animosity and anger. That try to divide us.”
SHOCKING LIVE STREAM
The gunman livestreamed the moment he opened fire inside the mosque, with those having seen the footage saying they saw at least 20 people fall.
“I’m lost for words at the extreme violence I’ve just seen,” one commentator said.
“People are just piled into corners and he just sprays them all. Praying for them.”
“There’s massive casualties at the mosque shooting ... I’ve just watched the video. He shoots well over 20 people, it’s absolutely awful.”
The footage shows a man driving up to a mosque playing loud music, before entering and shooting down multiple people in the prayer room.
He then calmly walks back to his car and drives off, explaining his actions.
However, other witnesses claimed to have seen “multiple gunmen”.
he video shows him firing into many rooms with a semiautomatic rifle, leaving bodies strewn on the floor as others run for their lives.
The distressing footage, viewed and verified by News Corp, shows the gunman walk around the corner and up the path into the Al Noor Mosque. He walks through the front door and opens fire indiscriminately.
Another eyewitness claims he saw a man wearing a “helmet and glasses and a military style jacket” enter the mosque and open fire.
A man in the Linwood Ave mosque told Radio NZ there were 110 people in there at the time, with up to 13 injured.
“We all went for cover,” he said.
“When we didn’t hear anymore shots we got up. Some people ran out and came back in a pile of blood. Five minutes after that police came and escorted us out.
“I haven’t ever seen anything like this. So much racism, conflict we are getting is not right.”
It’s understood about 300 people were inside the Hagley Park mosque for afternoon prayers when one of the shootings happened.
A reporter at the scene said when he arrived at that mosque someone was lying on the ground across the road being helped.
“There was one really quite disturbing incident five minutes ago,” he said.
“A guy pulled up in a van and shouted ‘I’m here to celebrate’ and then drove off. People were pretty disgusted at those comments.”
He said police chased after the van.
A business owner said he had heard at least 20 shots fired.
“I heard 20 or more gunshots I thought something happened and the people were running on the other side of Deans Avenue and now I can see so many police.”
Some of the Bangladesh cricket team were near the mosque when the shooting happened and were filmed by an ESPN journalist running away from the building.
Appearing visibly distressed in the video, the team were filmed running back through Hagley Park to the Oval.
“The players are shaken up but fine. I spoke to one of them shortly after (the incident),” the team’s strength and conditioning coach Mario Villavarayen said.
“They didn’t see anything but heard gunshots. They were at the ground (Hagley Oval) and just started running.
“The coaching staff were all at the hotel. The players just started running when they heard the shots. I don’t know how many (shots) there were. This happened at about 1.45pm.”
Bangladesh team escaped from a mosque near Hagley Park where there were active shooters. They ran back through Hagley Park back to the Oval. pic.twitter.com/VtkqSrljjV
— Mohammad Isam (@Isam84) March 15, 2019
Critics have warned the fact the vile act of violence was live streamed signalled a dark new era in social media, likely to lead to sweeping changes.
In 17 minutes of sheer terror, the gunman’s spree inside a Christchurch mosque played out like a first-person shooter video game and was broadcast live to anybody with a mobile device.
While several shooting murders, particularly in the US, made headlines when they were broadcast live, today’s massacre set a shocking new precedent.
Sitting in his car before the shootings began, the killer urged his followers to subscribe to his video channel.
“Let’s get this party started,” he said before parking at the mosque, grabbing his high-powered assault weapons opening fire.
The footage that followed showed scores of victims being mowed down as they desperately tried to escape.
It remain available to view for more than two hours before it was ripped down by social media sites where it had been shared.
Australian Catholic University extremism expert Dr Joshua Roose said the terrorists were absolutely using the live stream to attract an audience.
“He wanted people to view this,” Dr Roose said.
“He is deliberately trying to frame this within gaming format.
“He is not the first to do it — but it’s the way he did it — using a GoPro gave it a video game feel and the ability to not only live stream it but also capture it and spread to other viewers.
“It is exactly what they are seeking to do.
“It breaks it down and makes it possible for others to accomplish rather than being an abstract thing.”
Critics have claimed the broadcast of the abhorrent act is likely to lead to sweeping changes to live feeds on social media sites including Facebook and YouTube.
Dr Roose said Facebook, Twitter and other big multinational media companies now had a responsibility to work out ways to regulate live stream.
“Even if it’s a short delay like they have on television so content can be banned before it gets on,” Dr Roose said.
Debate raged on social media sites in the wake of the shootings, with many blaming the web for enabling extremism.
“The internet is 1000 per cent a vehicle for right-wing radicalisation,” said one user.
RIFLE SAME AS ONE USED IN US MASS SHOOTINGS
The high-powered assault rifle used in the Christchurch massacre was the same weapon used by the man who mowed down concert goers in Las Vegas in 2017.
The AR-15 — a modified version of the M16 — fires high velocity rounds capable of tearing apart anybody standing in its way.
While New Zealand authorities scrambled to establish how the killers obtained the weapons, terror experts said the controversial guns were already in the hands of criminals on Australian shores.
“It’s an assault rifle and one designed to be used in situations where you don’t have time to aim and want maximum fatalities,” Deakin University terror expert Greg Barton said.
“It’s a horrible thing to have at large in a civilian population.
“A lot of people have lamented that is the case in the US but drug busts in Australia regularly turn up these sort of weapons within drug gangs — there is not much of a connection between terrorism and criminality but it’s the possibility. There is a market there. These weapons are available.”
It was also the weapon of choice for the killer who opened fire on school children at Sandy Hook in 2012.
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