Christchurch mosque shooting: Gunman email NZ Prime Minister’s office

Worshippers at a mosque in Queensland received a fright when a man rammed his car into its gates shouting offensive abuse.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has confirmed that the bodies of those killed in the Christchurch attacks are beginning to be returned to their families, but only a small number at this stage.

Post mortems started this morning and the first body may be released to the family this evening. The victims ages ranged from 2 to 77 years old.

In a press conference on Sunday afternoon, Ardern said the gunman, Brenton Tarrant, was being held in a “specialist” secure facility.

Ardern confirmed that the accused’s trial will be held in New Zealand.

She could not say whether Tarrant would face charges under the Terrorism Suppression Act.

Ardern also revealed that Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg had been in touch indirectly following the tragedy. The gunman streamed the first of the two shootings live on Facebook.

The New Zealand PM also commented on Australian Senator Fraser Anning’s comments and labelled them “a disgrace”.

MAN DRIVES CAR INTO QUEENSLAND MOSQUE

A man has drove his car into the gates of a mosque in Queensland yesterday shouting offensive words through the driver’s side window at the worshippers inside the building.

A statement from Queensland police said the man was arrested overnight after allegedly driving his car along Neville Street and pulling into the driveway of Baitul Masroor Mosque.

He drove his car into the closed front gates causing minor damage to the gates.

“The man allegedly then shouted offensive words through the open drivers window towards the people inside, before driving home where he was located by police,” the statement read.

Police have arrested a man after he drove his car into the gates of a place of worship at Stockleigh overnight.https://t.co/a9ZbPjSEua pic.twitter.com/4UZ9VxbiXT

— Queensland Police (@QldPolice) March 17, 2019

The 23-year-old man, from Brown Plains, a suburb of Logan City, was initially stopped by police on Saturday afternoon for a drug test, for which he tested positive.

The man was issued with a 24-hour driver’s license suspension and issued with a notice to appear in court for one count of driving a vehicle whilst relevant drug is present.

But once he was released from police custody, he returned to his car and drove straight to the mosque.

He then drove home where police arrested the man and charged himwith wilful damage, committing public nuisance and driving a motor vehicle while suspended.

Related: Hunters reveal how Brenton Tarrant acted at rifle range

Related: The victims and the missing from the mosque massacre

Related: Tragic last words of terrorist’s first victim

GUNMAN SENT MANIFESTO TO NZ PM

The Christchurch mosque gunman emailed his hate filled manifesto to key organisations in New Zealand, including the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s office, less than ten minutes before he undertook his murderous rampage.

By the time authorities were advised of the email, the attack had already taken place.

In the manifesto, he described himself as “just a regular white man” from “a working class, low-income family … who decided to take a stand to ensure a future for my people”.

A spokesperson for the PM’s office told the New Zealand Herald: “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.

“It does not set out what he was about to do. It was written as if it had occurred, to explain what obviously was about to play out.”

The Dean Avenue mosque on Sunday, March 17, 2019 in Christchurch, New Zealand. Picture: Marty Melville

DEATH TOLL RISES TO 50

Police have been piecing together what’s been described as a complex event. More details came to light Sunday morning as New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush confirmed the death toll had risen to 50 following the discovery of another body at the crime scene. The number of injured has also risen to 50, whose age ranges from 2 to older than 60. 36 of those remain in Christchurch hospital while two are critical.

“As of last night we were able to take all of the victims out of those scenes and in doing so we have located another victim,” Bush said.

Many tales of survival and missing loved ones, feared dead, are starting to emerge.

John Milne fought back tears telling how his “brave little soldier” son, 14-year-old Sayyad Milne, died at Al Noor Mosque.

The Year 10 Cashmere High School student was at the mosque he attended with his mother and friends every Friday.

“I’ve lost my little boy,” his father told The New Zealand Herald.

“(I’m) keeping it together and tears are helping. People are helping. Just by being here, it is helping.

“I remember him as my baby who I nearly lost when he was born. Such a struggle he’s had throughout all his life.

“A brave little soldier. It’s so hard ... to see him just gunned down by someone who didn’t care about anyone or anything.”

Al Noor elder Haji Daoud Nabi, a 71-year-old refugee from Afghanistan, died in what his sons describe as a “cowardly act”.

“It’s outrageous to me. Forty-nine people got killed — kids and grown-ups shot in the back while praying. It is a cowardly act,” son Omar said.

“The Engineer” | Farhaj Ahsan came to New Zealand to study

He left Hyderabad, India to NZ to better life for his family. After graduating, he found a job - as a software engineer - in #ChristChurch.

His wife, and two children, only 3 and 6 months old, will never see him again. pic.twitter.com/bberTJnqV9

— Khaled Beydoun (@KhaledBeydoun) March 16, 2019

GUNMAN ACTED ALONE

Speaking to reporters in Wellington, Bush confirmed Tarrant was the sole gunman involved in the worst massacre in New Zealand history, a terror attack that started shortly after 1pm local time on Friday in Christchurch when he stormed a mosque and started shooting.

Police said five guns were used in the attacks, with two semi-automatic weapons, two shotguns, and a lever action firearm recovered from the scenes.

Police allege Tarrant travelled between the Al Noor Mosque beside Hagley Park in central Christchurch and Linwood Mosque some 5km away within seven minutes.

After just 36 minutes dozens were dead and injured.

Tarrant was caught on Brougham St, dragged from a car by two police officers, and taken into custody.

Tarrant, 28, appeared in Christchurch court on Saturday where he faced one charge before he was remanded in custody. He is likely to face more before his next appearance on April 5.

A relative shows the picture of Syed Areeb Ahmed, a Pakistani citizen who was killed the Christchurch mosque shooting, on his cell phone outside his home in Karachi, Pakistan. Picture: Fareed Khan