Brenton Tarrant’s family ‘gobsmacked, shattered’ over alleged role in Christchurch massacre
Relatives of accused Christchurch gunman Brenton Tarrant apologise to the people of NZ, as they reveal horrifying discovery.
Welcome to The Weekend Australian’s live coverage of the situation in New Zealand, where the known death toll is 50 people after Friday’s massacre at two mosques in Christchurch. Australian man Brenton Tarrant has faced court charged with murder.
5.27pm: Tarrant’s family: ‘We’re all gobsmacked’
The family of an Australian man charged with murdering Muslim worshippers at two mosques in New Zealand has been left stunned and bewildered that the terror act could have been committed by one of their own.
“It’s just so much of everything to take in that somebody in our family would do anything like this,” Brenton Tarrant’s grandmother Marie Fitzgerald, 81, told Nine News on Sunday.
“We’re all gobsmacked, we don’t know what to think. The media saying he’s planned it for a long time so he’s obviously not of sound mind I think.”
“He spent most of his time on computers... and playing computer games,” she said of Tarrant’s teenage years.
Tarrant is believed to have travelled to to Europe after his father died of cancer in 2010 but didn’t come back the same man, Mrs Fitzgerald said.
“It’s only since he travelled overseas I think that that boy has changed completely (from) the boy we knew.”
“Now everybody’s just devastated.
His uncle, Terry Fitzgerald, said the family had only learned of Tarrant’ role in the massacre while watching TV.
“First up I said ‘Nah, it couldn’t be’. Then I saw his photo. What he’s done, it’s not right,” Mr Fitzgerald said.
“We’re so sorry, for the families over there, for the dead and the injured...(we) just want to go home and hide.”
Tarrant had returned to his home town of Grafton, NSW, 12 months ago for his sister’s birthday.
Nine reports Tarrant’s mother and sister are staying in a safe house and are co-operating with authorities. Mrs Fitzgerald described the family as “shattered’.
A shackled Tarrant flashed a white power hand signal as he appeared in a Christchurch court on Saturday morning, charged with one count of murder. More charges are expected to follow.
Brenton Tarrant’s shattered family have condemned his horrific attack and apologized for his “unrepairable†actions. @hansinclair9 #9News pic.twitter.com/y4mo4oU5r6
— Nine News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) March 17, 2019
4.00pm: Pakistan’s heavy toll
Pakistan’s foreign ministry spokesman says three more Pakistanis have been identified among those killed in the attacks on two mosques in New Zealand, bringing the number of Pakistanis killed to nine.
Spokesman Mohammad Faisal in a tweet on Sunday said Zeeshan Raza, his father Ghulam Hussain and mother Karam Bibi are now confirmed to have been killed in the terrorist attack in Christchurch.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Saturday that six Pakistanis were confirmed dead.
Two of them, Naeem Rashid and his son Talha Naeem, gave their lives attempting to snatch the attacker’s gun.
AP
2.45pm: ‘Manifesto’ emailed to PM
New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern says received gunman’s “manifesto’’ nine minutes before the attacks in Christchurch on Friday.
“I was one of more than 30 recipients of the manifesto that was mailed out nine minutes before the attack took place,” Ardern told reporters today.
“It did not include a location, it did not include specific details,” she said, adding that it was sent to security services within two minutes of receipt.
2.40pm: Gunman to face NZ justice system
Australian man Brenton Tarrant will be charged and prosecuted in New Zealand over the twin Christchurch mosque terror attacks that have killed 50. “He will certainly face the justice system of New Zealand for the terrorist attack that he has committed here,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told reporters.
Tarrant, 28, who was living in Dunedin but is from Grafton, NSW, has been charged with one count of murder.
He remains the only person charged directly over last Friday’s shooting massacres.
He will face further charges before he next appears in court on April 5. He did not apply for bail when he was before the court on Saturday. Ms Ardern said he was being held in a specialist security facility.
AAP
Michael McKenna 2.14pm: Man rams car into mosque gates
A man has been arrested after driving his car into the gates of a mosque, south of Brisbane, on Saturday night.
Police said the 23-year-old was stopped by police earlier in the day, and issued with a notice to appear on a charge of driving while under the influence of drugs.
After being released from police custody, the man allegedly then returned to his car and drove into the closed gates of the Baitul Al Masroor Mosque in Stockleigh, shouting offensive words at people gathering for worship.
It was at the same mosque where a pig’s head was left at the front gate in 2017.
Police said the man caused minor damage to the gates and drove off before being arrested again at his home.
“The man allegedly then drove his car along Neville Street and pulled into the driveway of the place of worship, where he has driven his car into the closed front gates causing minor damage to the gates,’’ police said in a statement.
“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 man was arrested and further charged with one count each of wilful damage, commit public nuisance and driving a motor vehicle whilst suspended.’’
1.05pm: Social media under fire
The federal government will talk with social media companies to make sure the tool can’t be used by terrorists in the wake of the Christchurch attack.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Facebook has previously suspended “these sort of” livestreams.
“Assurances were given that ... it could avoid this and clearly it hasn’t,” Mr Morrison told reporters in Sydney on Sunday.
He said there needed to be some “very real” discussions about how such content could exist on social media.
“We will be seeking to get assurances from the social media companies about their capabilities to ensure that this tool cannot be used by terrorists,” Mr Morrison said.
AAP
Rosie Lewis 11.58am: Anning’s fate ‘at hands of voters’
New Zealand’s High Commissioner to Australia, Annette King, has rejected Queensland senator Fraser Anning’s “atrocious” comments responding to the horrific terrorist attack on Christchurch mosques and says it’s up to Australian voters as to whether he remains in federal parliament. Read the full story here
10.37am: Worshipper hailed a hero
When the gunman advanced toward the mosque, killing those in his path, Abdul Aziz didn’t hide. Instead, he picked up the first thing he could find, a credit card machine, and ran outside screaming “Come here!” Aziz, 48, is being hailed as a hero for preventing more deaths during Friday prayers at the Linwood mosque in Christchurch after leading the gunman in a cat- and-mouse chase before scaring him into speeding away in his car. But Aziz, whose four sons and dozens of others remained in the mosque while he faced off with the gunman, said he thinks it’s what anyone would have done.
Latef Alabi, the Linwood mosque’s acting imam, said the death toll would have been far higher at the Linwood mosque if it wasn’t for Aziz, Alabi said, referring to Aziz.
Aziz said as he ran outside screaming, he was hoping to distract the attacker. He said the gunman ran back to his car to get another gun, and Aziz hurled the credit card machine at him.
He said he could hear his two youngest sons, aged 11 and 5, urging him to come back inside.
The gunman returned, firing. Aziz said he ran, weaving through cars parked in the driveway, which prevented the gunman from getting a clean shot. Then Aziz spotted a gun the gunman had abandoned and picked it up, pointed it and squeezed the trigger. It was empty.
He said the gunman ran back to the car for a second time, likely to grab yet another weapon.
“He gets into his car and I just got the gun and threw it on his window like an arrow and blasted his window,” he said.
The windshield shattered: “That’s why he got scared.” He said the gunman was cursing at him, yelling that he was going to kill them all. But he drove away and Aziz said he chased the car down the street to a red light, before it made a U-turn and sped away. Online videos indicate police officers managed to force the car from the road and drag out the suspect soon after.
Originally from Kabul, Afghanistan, Aziz said he left as a refugee when he was a boy and lived for more than 25 years in Australia before moving to New Zealand a couple of years ago.
AP
10.08am: Futsal star among victims
Goalkeeper for the New Zealand national and Canterbury men’s futsal teams, Atta Elayyan, 33, has been named as one of the victims of the Christchurch mosque attacks, The Sunday Telegraph reports.
The Palestinian man was born in Kuwait and was well known in the tech industry, working as a director and shareholder of a company called LWA solutions.
He had also recently become a father.
10.05am: Solidarity from Canberra
Flowers left at the New Zealand High Commission in Canberra. Waiting for a statement from High Commissioner Dame Annette King on the Christchurch massacre. pic.twitter.com/mGBPfInnSG
— Rick Morton (@SquigglyRick) March 16, 2019
8.05am: Death toll rises to 50
New Zealand police say a 50th victim of the mosque attacks in Christchurch has died.
New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush announced the latest death in a news conference this morning. He says 36 victims remain hospitalised, with two of them in critical condition.
Bush also said that two people arrested around the time suspect Brenton Harrison Tarrant was apprehended are not believed to have been involved in the Friday attacks on two mosques.
He says one of those people has been released and the other has been charged with firearms offences.
Tarrant, 28, and was arraigned Saturday on the first of many expected murder charges.
He’s accused of killing 41 people at one mosque and seven more at a second. Two victims died later while hospitalised.
AP
6.50am: Four-year-old fights for life
A Jordanian man says his 4-year-old niece is fighting for her life after being wounded in the New Zealand mosque shootings.
Sabri Daraghmeh said by phone from Jordan on Saturday that the girl, Elin, remains “in the danger phase” and that her father,Waseem — Sabri’s brother — is in a stable condition.
Daraghmeh says 33-year-old Waseem moved to New Zealand five years ago and that he described it as the “safest place one could ever live in.” The Daraghmehs are of Palestinian origin, but have Jordanian citizenship, like several others listed as Jordanian nationals among those killed and wounded in the mosque attacks.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said Saturday that at least four Palestinians were among those killed, but acknowledged theycould have been counted by Jordan or other countries.
AP
6.45am: Anning to be formally disapproved
Queensland Senator Fraser Anning has more egg on his face as the prime minister moves to censure him for victim-blaming Muslims over the New Zealand terror attack.
Scott Morrison announced his government would formally disapprove the independent for blaming the Islamic community for the New Zealand mosque shootings.
Mr Morrison is also in talks with senators Mathias Cormann and Penny Wong about a bipartisan motion when parliament returns in April.
“These comments are appalling and they’re ugly and they have no place in Australia,” he told reporters in Sydney yesterday.
“In the Australian parliament also. He should be, frankly, ashamed of himself.”
WATCH: This is the moment Senator Fraser Anning was egged by a teenage boy during a press conference in Melbourne. #9News pic.twitter.com/oePwz3pPH2
— Nine News Melbourne (@9NewsMelb) March 16, 2019
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said Senator Anning was “chasing a headline” and questioned whether he’d made “Australians less safe overseas”.
“That’s another reason not to give this fool any more oxygen,” he said.
More than 300,000 people have signed a change.org petition calling for Senator Anning’s expulsion from parliament.
The motion comes amid a 17-year-old throwing an egg at Senator Anning’s head at a speaking event in Melbourne’s southeast on Saturday.
Vision live streamed on social media showed Senator Anning punching the teenager twice before others pinned the youth down on the ground and police arrived. The teenager was arrested but was released pending further inquiries, and no other people had been arrested on Saturday night.
AAP
6.30am: PM joins interfaith prayer
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison will today join politicians and religious figures, including the Grand Mufti of Australia, at a Sydney cathedral for an interfaith prayer for the victims of the Christchurch massacre.
Members of the public “from any denomination” have been invited to pray alongside Mr Morrison, Grand Mufti Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohammed, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, the New Zealand Consul General to Australia Bill Dobbie and others. The gathering will take place at 3.30pm at St Mary’s Cathedral. Nearby, a rally to show solidarity for the Muslim community is expected to draw a large crowd.
Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi, along with a number of activists, are set to make speeches at a rally outside the New Zealand consulate on Sunday afternoon.
“We stand in immovable solidarity with the victims and enemies of white supremacy and fascismand send our deepest sympathies to the Muslim community everywhere,” the organisers said in a statement.
AAP
6am: Victorian mosques open doors
Mosques will open across Victoria to allow Muslims to share their faith instead of turning people away despite shooting attacks at Islamic places of worship in New Zealand.
More than 20 mosques are taking part in the Islamic Council of Victoria’s annual event today which welcomes visitors of all race, religion and gender to step inside.
Visitors will be able to meet Muslims, go on guided tours, take hijab tutorials or have henna tattoo art, enjoy sausage sizzles and even discuss Islamic beliefs.
“Sharing our cultural heritage is part of celebrating what it means to be truly Australian,” ICV president Mohamed Mohideen said ahead of the day. “It is about celebrating the benefits of our multicultural society which has come about as a result of the successful integration of migrants into the Australian community.”
Among the events, Australian academic Susan Carland will take part in a conversation with Benevolence Australia founder Saara Sabbagh at the suburban Melbourne venue.
“During this time of grief with the recent tragic incident in New Zealand, let us come together to strengthen our shared humanity,” Benevolence Australia stated online.
The Victorian event is going ahead despite the shooting attacks at two mosques in Christchurch on Friday, which left at least 49 people dead. Police will also attend the mosques to take part in activities and to patrol the venues.
The Victorian Multicultural Commission and Victorian Government and Australian Federation of Islamic Councils support the statewide event.
AAP
10pm: Sydney Opera House lit up
A silver fern has been projected onto the Sydney Opera House as a symbol of solidarity for the people of New Zealand following the Christchurch attack. The sails of the Opera House were lit up on Saturday night, a day after Muslims were massacred while worshipping at mosques in Christchurch. The Silver Fern of New Zealand illumination represented “solidarity, support and respect” after at least 49 people were killed when an Australian alleged gunman stormed two mosques.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the display demonstrated the state’s unity and compassion towards everyone affected by the attacks.
“We feel the loss in Christchurch especially deeply given the closeness of our two countries. It is as though this has occurred on our own soil,” Ms Berejiklian said.
8pm: Thousands gather for anti-Islamophobia rally
Thousands of people have stood shoulder-to-shoulder at a rally in Melbourne against Islamophobia in the wake of the New Zealand massacre. Prayers were read and tears shed for the victims during Saturday’s event at Victoria’s State Library to stand in solidarity with the Islamic community. Islamic Council of Victoria secretary Mohammad Helmy was among the many voices calling for change at the event.
“This kind of hate rhetoric, it kills,” Mr Helmy told Nine News Melbourne. The rally was one of many protests of its kind held across the globe ahead of next week’s International Day for the Elimination of Discrimination. A number of Melbourne’s landmarks were lit up overnight in the New Zealand flag colours in a show of solidarity, including Flinders Street Station, the Town Hall and the State Library.
6.40pm: Yiannopoulos banned from visiting
Controversial far-right commentator Milo Yiannopoulos has been banned from entering Australia on tour after his remarks about the New Zealand terror attack.
Immigration Minister David Coleman released a statement on Saturday confirming the decision to cancel Mr Yiannopoulos’ visa into the country.
“Milo Yiannopoulos will not be allowed to enter Australia for his proposed tour this year,” Mr Coleman said, after having granted him a visa a week ago. “Mr Yiannopoulos’ comments on social media regarding the Christchurch terror attack are appalling and foment hatred and division.
“The terrorist attack in Christchurch was carried out on Muslims peacefully practising their religion. It was an act of pure evil.” The government had agreed to the visa after conservative MPs had put pressure on Mr Coleman to override the Department of Home Affairs’ advice to ban Mr Yiannopoulos.
“I’m banned from Australia, again, after a statement in which I said I abhor political violence,” Mr Yiannopoulos said on social media after the announcement on Saturday.
Mr Yiannopoulos had described Islam as a “barbaric, alien” religious culture on social media overnight after the terror incident, prompting the government’s change of heart.
Labor MP Tony Burke took to Twitter to praise the decision to ban the speaker. “Milo banned. Good. His overnight comments weren’t that different from how he has always behaved. There was already enough evidence to ban him which is why the department had already recommended he be banned. The Australian tours for the world’s hate speakers must stop,” he urged.
Milo banned. Good. His overnight comments weren’t that different from how he has always behaved. There was already enough evidence to ban him which is why the department had already recommended he be banned. The Australian tours for the world’s hate speakers must stop. https://t.co/gh5ZrQRiU7
— Tony Burke (@Tony_Burke) March 16, 2019
The speaking tour had previously been given the green light despite Mr Yiannopoulos owing Victoria Police $50,000 to cover policing at a Melbourne event in December, 2017, during which up to 500 left-wing protesters clashed with about 50 right-wing activists.
6pm: Social media posts ‘leads to weapons haul’
A man who allegedly posted comments online about the Christchurch terrorist attack has led South Australia Police to a haul of weapons in his home.
The 37-year-old will face Elizabeth Magistrates Court on Monday charged with possessing a Class H replica firearm, four counts of possessing a prohibited weapon and one count of possessing prescribed equipment, South Australia Police said.
Officers swarmed on his northern suburbs home on Friday after his social media comments, where they found a replica firearm, two flick knives, an expandable baton and a crossbow.
5pm: Senator egged in ugly scenes
Independent Senator Fraser Anning has lashed out at a teen who cracked an egg over his head while Mr Anning gave a press conference in Melbourne.
The Senator has faced criticism from both sides of parliament — and the public — after he linked violence and Muslim immigration in the wake of the Christchurch terror attack.
A 17-year-old boy was arrested ati the speaking event in Moorabbin, but has since been released pending further inquiries.
WATCH: This is the moment Senator Fraser Anning was egged by a teenage boy during a press conference in Melbourne. #9News pic.twitter.com/oePwz3pPH2
— Nine News Melbourne (@9NewsMelb) March 16, 2019
4.30pm: Accused shooter’s family helping police
The family of accused Australian mass shooter Brenton Tarrant, 28, approached NSW Police after viewing footage of the terror attack.
“My understanding is the family (of this man) did approach NSW Police after the incident was on TV,” NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said in Sydney on Saturday.
Mr Fuller has asked people not to watch Tarrant’s “disturbing” vision of the massacre circulating online.
He also urged Australians to tell law enforcement agencies if they see anything worrying posted on the internet, even if it’s related to their own son or daughter.
“If there’s information that’s concerning and you think it may just be a mental health issue, it could be a serious criminal issue and we would ask that you come forward,” he said.
NSW Police are conducting a “two-pronged investigation” which involves assisting New Zealand agencies and making sure the Australian terrorist “hasn’t slipped through the cracks”, Mr Fuller said.
- AAP
3.45pm: Two massacres, just one shooter: reports
New Zealand police now believe just one shooter was responsible for attacks on two separate mosques in Christchurch, local media are reporting.
Police Commissioner Mike Bush has told The New Zealand Herald investigators believe Australian Brenton Tarrant carried out both attacks, travelling between two packed mosques and killing 49 people.
Two others arrested after the incident are still under investigation, while an 18-year-old man has been charged with inciting racial hatred.
3.15pm: Senator should be ashamed of himself: Morrison
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced the government will censure Queensland senator Fraser Anning over his comments about the mosque shootings in New Zealand.
Mr Morrison said there had been discussions between Senators Mathias Cormann and Penny Wong about a bipartisan motion when Parliament returns in April. “These comments are appalling and they’re ugly and they have no place in Australia. In the Australian Parliament also. And he should be, frankly, ashamed of himself” he said.
.@ScottMorrisonMP: I want to absolutely and completely denounce the statements made by Senator Anning.
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) March 16, 2019
The government will lead as part of a bi-partisan motion, a motion of censure against Senator Anning.
MORE: https://t.co/gYWWRPzNn2 pic.twitter.com/h33j4HfIKe
2.45pm: Tarrant does not represent Australia: Shorten
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has condemned the Christchurch massacre during a speech at the Islamic Council of Victoria.
Mr Shorten spoke to a group of Melbourne’s Islamic community on Saturday afternoon, when he said the majority of Australians felt “impotent, outraged, disgusted, ashamed” at Friday’s mosque shootings.
“There are...millions of Australians who feel solidarity with you today,” he said, adding he was in a room full of people who were “first and foremost” Australians.
“It was an Australian who did this, but this is not an Australian who represents Australia.
“Please take the message that 99.99 per cent do not support the hate. “Now is the time to repudiate once and for all not just the violence, but the circumstances, the hate speech, that fuels the violence.”
.@billshortenmp: I can't begin to imagine how some Australians felt waking up this morning thinking that because of their faith that somehow, they are less equal and potentially subject to violence and abuse.
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) March 16, 2019
MORE: https://t.co/gYWWRPzNn2 pic.twitter.com/Up51DTkSJJ
2.35pm: Police defend response time
New Zealand police have defended the 36 minutes it took to arrest the man now charged with murder over the Christchurch mosque massacre amid criticism that police were too slow too react to the attacks.
NZ Police Commissioner Mike Bush said police were at the Deans Ave mosque within minutes of the incident being reported at 1.42pm on Friday.
District Commander John Price, who was in charge of Friday’s operation, told reporters on Saturday he was happy with the response.
“That is an incredibly fast response time. You had a mobile offender across large metropolitan city,” Commander Price said.
Mr Bush praised police and other emergency service workers for their actions - and members of the public who tried to help.
He said the arrest of Australian man Brenton Tarrant - who on Saturday faced court on one count of murder - was dangerous.
“That person was not willing to be arrested,” Mr Bush said.
“We also believe that not only were there IEDs in that vehicle, so it was a very dangerous manoeuvre.
“There were also firearms in that vehicle, so our staff who were well-equipped, did engage with that person and again, put themselves in real danger to keep the community safe from further harm.”
- AAP
2pm: Trump slammed for ‘invasion’ claim
US President Donald Trump has been criticised for using language to describe illegal immigrants similar to what the Australian man accused of leading the Christchurch mosque massacres allegedly used in a 74-page manifesto. Trump’s eyebrow-raising words came during an event at the White House on Friday.
The president showed compassion for the 49 people killed in the New Zealand shooting rampage but almost in the same breath described illegal immigrants entering the US from Mexico as an “invasion”.
It is similar to the language 28-year-old Brenton Harrison Tarrant is accused of using in the “manifesto” that appeared online before the mosque killings began.
Trump said in the Oval Office: “People hate the word invasion, but that’s what it is. It is an invasion of drugs and criminals and people.” Tarrant allegedly was incensed by immigration and complained about “white genocide” from non-white immigration.
The Australian, who has been charged with murder, allegedly wrote in the post: “We must crush immigration and deport those invaders already living on our soil. It is not just a matter of our prosperity, but the very survival of our people.” Trump, asked by reporters, said he had not read the manifesto.
Tarrant allegedly referred to Trump as “a symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose” but did not support him “as a policy maker and leader”. “Dear god no,” the manifesto reads.
Trump was also criticised for telling reporters on Friday he did not believe white nationalists were on the rise.
“I think it’s a small group of people that have very, very serious problems I guess,” Trump said.
- AAP
12:45pm: A dozen still critical
At least a dozen people - including a four-year-old girl - are still fighting for their lives after the massacre. The girl has been flown to Auckland’s Starship children’s hospital for treatment, while two other children - a two-year-old boy and a 13-year-old boy - are in a stable condition in Christchurch Hospital.
Head of surgery, Dr Greg Robertson, told reporters on Saturday that 36 of the 48 injured people remain in hospital. At least seven have been discharged. “Of the 36 patients that remain in hospital, 11 of them are in the intensive care unit, including one female aged in her mid-20s,” he said,. “All of those in ICU are what we would consider critically ill.” He said most of the wounded who were shot while at Friday prayers at two Christchurch mosques were men aged between 30 and 40.
Christchurch hospital, which has experience with major trauma following the two earthquakes, was put to the test with 12 operating theatres in use throughout the night to treat the wounded, many who have suffered “quite significant” injuries.
“We have had patients with injuries to most parts of the body that range from relatively superficial soft tissue injuries to more complex injuries involving the chest, the abdomen, the pelvis, the long bones and the head,” Dr Robertson said.
“Many of the people will require multiple trips to theatre to deal with the complex series of injuries that they have.” Four patients died on their way into the hospital.
-AAP
12.30pm: Ardern to tighten gun laws
New Zealand’s gun laws will be tightened, its Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has vowed at a media conference on Saturday morning.
“Our duty is to keep everyone here safe. We have failed here and questions will be asked,” Ms Ardern said, adding it would be investigated how the killer had evaded intelligence surveillance.
The NZ Prime Minister said today in Wellington before travelling to Christchurch the attacker held a category-A gun licence, which meant he was able to obtain the guns he had, legally. Five guns were used, including two semi-automatic weapons.
“That can give you a good idea of why we need to see our gun laws changed,” Ms Ardern said.
“Today as the country grieves we are seeking answers,” she said
“Our gun laws will change. Now is the time for change,” Ms Ardern said.
.@jacindaardern: Undoubtedly New Zealanders will question how someone could have come to have been in a position of weapons of this nature.
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) March 16, 2019
One of the issues we're facing is that the guns that were used in in case appear to have been modified.
MORE: https://t.co/bU4O3p7AWM pic.twitter.com/pas3f5olEm
Australian Brenton Tarrant faces NZ court
Brenton Harrison Tarrant, apparently used a helmet-mounted camera to broadcast live Facebook video of the slaughter at the Al Noor and Linwood mosques in Christchurch during a “well-planned” attack during Friday prayers.
Tarrant, formerly of Grafton in the NSW north coast region, appeared in court on Saturday morning amid strict security and showed no emotion when the judge read him one murder charge. The judge said “it was reasonable to assume” more such charges would follow. Tarrant was remanded in custody to the NZ High Court on April 5.
Two other armed suspects were taken into custody while police tried to determine what role, if any, they played in the cold-blooded attack in the city of almost 400,000 people that stunned NZ, a country so peaceful that police officers rarely carry guns.
It was by far the deadliest shootings in modern New Zealand history. “It is clear that this can now only be described as a terrorist attack,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said, noting that many of the victims could be migrants or refugees.
Tarrant, who police say carried out at least one of the shootings, posted a jumbled, 74-page manifesto on social media in which he identified himself by name and said he was a 28-year-old Australian and white supremacist who was out to avenge attacks in Europe perpetrated by Muslims.
Police also defused explosive devices in a car. Police did not say whether the same person was responsible for both shootings. They gave no details about those taken into custody except to say that none had been on any watch list.
Tarrant has spent little time in Australia in the past four years and only had minor traffic infractions on his record.
On Saturday, outside one of the two mosques, 32-year-old Ash Mohammed pushed through police barricades in hopes of finding out what happened to his father and two brothers, whose cellphones rang unanswered. An officer stopped him.
“We just want to know if they are dead or alive,” Mr Mohammed told the officer.
In the aftermath, the country’s threat level was raised from low to high, and police warned Muslims against going to a mosque in NZ.
Expressing shock, sorrow and revulsion, Christchurch’s mayor Lianne Dalziel called for her city to come together in kindness.
Leaders across the world, including the Queen, British Prime Minister Theresa May, Pope Francis and US President Donald Trump have sent condolences and condemned the attack, with Mr Trump tweeting, “We stand in solidarity with New Zealand.”
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan and other Islamic leaders pointed to the bloodbath and other such attacks as evidence of rising hostility toward Muslims since 9/11.
NZ, with a population of five million, has relatively loose gun laws and an estimated 1.5 million firearms, or roughly one for every three people. But it has one of the lowest gun homicide rates in the world. In 2015, it had just eight gun homicides.
Before Friday’s attack, New Zealand’s deadliest shooting in modern history took place in 1990 in the small town of Aramoana, where a gunman killed 13 people following a dispute with a neighbour.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Ardern said the “primary perpetrator” in the shootings was a licensed gun owner and legally acquired the five guns used.
Ardern meets mosque leaders
Jacinda Ardern has met leaders of Christchurch mosques targeted in the mass shooting as she tries to assure the country’s Muslim community they’ll be protected.
Ms Ardern landed in the South Island city on Saturday following the killings of 49 worshippers gathering for prayers at two mosques.
Going straight from her plane to a Christchurch’s refugee centre, Ms Ardern heard from senior members of the Muslim community, who thanked her and the nation for an outpouring of support.
“We were not expecting that, but we are very, very grateful, we are blessed,” mosque committee member Habib Ullah told the room, describing how neighbours had left flowers at his door.
But concerns were nonetheless raised about what the shootings would mean for some in the community, with many of those killed the sole breadwinners for families, while prayer centres could be closed through the busy season.
“Is there any long-term plan for those who survived?” the committee member asked. Ms Ardern said in the days and weeks to come, questions would inevitably turn from immediate protection to long-term safety.
“We need to keep having that conversation about how we ensure your ongoing safety,” she said.
“There will be questions about how we ensure people’s livelihoods. How we ensure they meet day-to-day needs.”
At Hagley College, just minutes from where 41 people were fatally shot at the Al Noor mosque, families of the victims greeted the Prime Minister. “We need to support each other, we need to spread unity and love and happiness between all people,” Linwood mosque Imam Ibrahim Abdelhalim told reporters outside.
“If this evil thinks we will stop going to our mosque here or stop doing our worship to our god, Allah, we never ever cannot stop. Because we still believe this country accepts all religions … We are part of the New Zealand community.”
Ms Ardern — accompanied by a contingent including the deputy prime minister and leader of the opposition — travelled under intense security on Saturday, with heavily armed police on streets around the city.
Christchurch’s mayor says graves are being dug for the dozens of worshippers who were shot dead.
Mayor Lianne Dalziel said city officials on Saturday were working closely with the community on the specific requirements of a large number of Muslim funerals.
Assistance from Tarrant relatives in Australia
The family of the man charged over the Christchurch mosque massacre, Brenton Tarrant, approached NSW Police after viewing footage of the terror attack.
Police Commissioner Mick Fuller on Saturday said there were “no active threats” in NSW linked to the attack in New Zealand, however the national terrorism threat level remained at “probable”.
“After the crime, my understanding is the family [of this man] did approach NSW Police after the incident was on TV,” Commissioner Fuller said in Sydney.
The commissioner was later joined by other senior police at a meeting with religious leaders at the Australian National Imams Council in the city’s west.
“I know that terrorism has many faces. I also know there will be people feeling vulnerable today from all walks of life in our community,’’ he said.
“It’s important, also, I go and we talk and we break bread about where do we go forward from here, to make sure there is no subsequent violence or activities that will put other people at risk.”
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Opposition Leader Michael Daley visited Lakemba Mosque on Friday night for a vigil with the Muslim community.
“I want to stress that an attack on one section of our community is an attack on all of us and we will band together, and we will heal together,” Ms Berejiklian told reporters on Saturday.
The Premier said the closeness of the two countries, with shared values of freedom, diversity and democracy, made it feel “as though it’s occurred on our own soil”.
“I know that words cannot describe the pain and anguish of the family and friends of the victims but our heart goes out to each and every one of them,” Ms Berejiklian said.
12 operating theatres in use
At least a dozen people — including a four-year-old girl — are still fighting for their livesafter the Christchurch massacre that left 49 people dead.
The girl has been flown to Auckland’s Starship children’s hospitalfor treatment, while two other children — a two-year-old boy and a 13-year-old boy — are in a stable condition in Christchurch Hospital.
Christchurch Hospital Head of surgery, Dr Greg Robertson, told reporters on Saturday that 36 of the 48 injured people remained in the hospital. At least seven had been discharged.
“Of the 36 patients that remain in hospital, 11 of them are in the intensive care unit, includingone female aged in her mid-20s,” he said,. “All of those in ICU are what we would consider critically ill.”
He said most of the wounded who were shot while at Friday prayers at two Christchurch mosques were men aged between 30 and 40.
Christchurch hospital, which has experience with major trauma following the two earthquakes, was put to the test with 12 operating theatres in use throughout the night to treat the wounded, many who have suffered “quite significant” injuries.
“We have had patients with injuries to most parts of the body that range from relatively superficial soft tissue injuries to more complex injuries involving the chest, the abdomen, the pelvis, the long bones and the head,” Dr Robertson said.
“Many of the people will require multiple trips to theatre to deal with the complex series of injuries that they have.”
The chief executive of the Canterbury District Health Board, David Meates, said about 200 family members were at the hospital early on Saturday awaiting news about their loved ones.
Events cancelled but not NRL
Various entertainment events have been cancelled around New Zealand, including Auckland’s Polyfest, Wellington’s Out in the Park and Pride Hīkoi and Bryan Adams’ events. But tonight’s local NRL match will proceed.
Chair of the ASB Polyfest Trust Gregory Pierce and ASB Polyfest event director Seiuli Terri Leo Mauu said “the safety and well-being of our student performers, and the public that come to enjoy the festival is always paramount in our planning”.
“The events in Christchurch have unsettled some of our performers, Polyfest staff, schools and our sponsors, and to respect their well-being we have decided to cancel the final day of the festival.”
“If the event had gone ahead there would have been a significant presence of heavily armed police at the festival which would not have been appropriate for Saturday’s family day focus at the ASB Polyfest.”
Adams has also announced his Christchurch concert scheduled for Sunday had been cancelled, and said tickets would be refunded in full.
But the NRL Warriors said all remaining tickets for tonight’s season-opener against the Bulldogs in Auckland would be available to the public free-of-charge.
Club chief executive Cameron George said the decision had been made in order to encourage the public to show unity at Mt Smart Stadium.
“We are all devastated and in shock about what happened in Christchurch yesterday,” he said.
“New Zealand is hurting. We are New Zealand’s team in the NRL and we want the public to join us this evening to acknowledge collectively those who have been affected by the heinous act in our country.
“Let’s use tonight’s match as an opportunity for the New Zealand public to stand shoulder to shoulder. We have been in constant dialogue with Auckland Stadiums and the New Zealand Police since yesterday and I can assure fans we take their safety seriously.”
The scheduled Super Rugby clash between the Highlanders and Crusaders in Dunedin, where the charged gunman had been living, has been cancelled. The decision was made by New Zealand Rugby after meetings with both teams, as well as venue management at Forsyth Barr Stadium and police.
“Advice from police and venue management was that the fixture could go ahead, however, with strong agreement from both teams we have made the final call not to proceed as a mark of respect for the events that have occurred in Christchurch,” NZR chief rugby officer Nigel Cass said.
A crowd of more than 20,000 had been expected for the match but Highlanders chief Roger Clark said he fully supported the cancellation.
Vigils around NZ were being held today to honour the victims of the attack, including at Aotea Square in Auckland.
New Zealanders in London held a vigil at the NZ War Memorial in Hyde Park.
A minute’s silence was observed in the British House of Commons for the 49 victims.
Australian briefings to continue
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison was briefed by agency chiefs on Friday, and was expected to receive further briefings over the weekend on what he described as the “vicious and callous, right-wing extremist attack”.
“I can confirm that the individual who was taken into custody, I have been advised, is an Australian-born citizen,” he told reporters in Sydney.
“Obviously that element of the investigation Australian authorities are involved in.”
Mr Morrison said he was being kept abreast of developments in New Zealand, as federal and state police along with the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation investigated.
“I want to assure all Australians that the immediate responses that are required to ensure the security and safety of Australians have already been actioned,” he said.
Australia’s terrorism alert level has not been lifted, but NZ’s was lifted from low to high.
Mr Morrison said he had heard nothing to suggest any Australians were killed or injured in the shooting.
The Australian National Imams Council condemned the attackand called on political leaders to do more to counter Islamaphobia.
India says nine nationals missing
Officials say nine Indian nationals or people of Indian origin are missing after the mosque attacks in Christchurch.
India’s high commissioner to New Zealand, Sanjiv Kohli, tweeted on Saturday that nine people were missing and called the attack a “huge crime against humanity”.
Indian officials have not said whether the nine were believed to be living in Christchurch.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a letter to New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern saying that “hatred and violence have no place in diverse and democratic societies”.
Pakistan says four nationals wounded
Pakistan’s foreign ministry says four Pakistanis were wounded in mass shootings at the two mosques.
Ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal tweeted that five other Pakistani citizens were missing after Friday’s attacks.
He said Pakistani diplomats in New Zealand were in contact with local authorities.
Separately, the ministry said Pakistan viewed the attacks as an “assault on the values of freedom of conscience and association common to all mankind”. It asked NZ to take immediate action to bring the perpetrators to justice and ensure the safety of the Muslim community.
Indonesian victims reported
Indonesia’s foreign ministry says two Indonesians, a father and his son, were injured in mass shootings.
Ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir said the father was in intensive care and his son was being treated at the same hospital. He declined to identify them. The man’s wife, Alta Marie, said on Facebook that her husband, Zulfirman Syah, and their son were being treated at Christchurch Hospital.
“My husband was shot in multiple places and has a drain in his lung and has been in surgery,” she wrote.
“I was recently united with my son, who has a gunshot wound to the leg and backside. He is traumatised.”
Bangladesh loses three nationals
Bangladesh’s honorary consul in Auckland, New Zealand, says three Bangladeshis were killed in Friday’s attacked and at least four others were injured.
Shafiqur Rahman Bhuiyan said “so far” three Bangladeshis were among the 49 people killed in the shootings. He said two of the injured Bangladeshis were in critical condition.
He saids one person’s leg had to be amputated and another had gunshot wounds to his chest.
Accused killer Tarrant ‘visited Turkey’
A senior Turkish official says the charged perpetrator Brenton Tarrant travelled to Turkey several times and spent what the official called an “extended period of time’’ in the country.
He said the suspect might have also travelled to countries in Europe, Asia and Africa, a report from Ankara said.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with Turkish government rules.
The official said an investigation was underway of “the suspect’s movements and contacts within the country”. He did not say when the suspect travelled to Turkey.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at least three Turkish citizens were injured in attacks on Muslim worshippers and that he had spoken to one of them.
Addressing an election rally on Friday, Mr Erdogan described a suspect in the attacks as “impertinent, immoral, vile and scum” and said he had chosen innocent worshippers as an easy target.
He told the crowd: “As Muslims, we will never bow our heads, but we will never fall to the level of these vile people.”
Dozens of demonstrators protested the shootings after Friday prayers in Istanbul.
Tarrant visited eastern Europe
Alleged Christchurch mosque shooter Brenton Harrison Tarrant’s recent trip to eastern Europe is being investigated by authorities.
Bulgarian officials have confirmed that 28-year-old Australian national Harrison was in Bulgaria last November.
Prosecutor-General Sotir Tsatsarov has spoken after a special meeting of security, intelligence and law enforcement chiefs called in Sofia by Prime Minister Boiko Borissov in the wake of the Christchurch terror attack.
Sources in Bulgaria have told the NZ Herald that while watching the dramatic coverage emerge from New Zealand, they noticed Cryllic script and eastern European inscriptions on the automatic rifle magazines found at shooting scenes. They included the names of famous battles and historical figures who fought against Ottoman rule.
The Sofia Globe reported that Bulgarian officials were working closely with services “in the United States and New Zealand”.
Canadian accused’s lawyers say he is ‘troubled’
Lawyers for a gunman who killed six people at a Quebec mosque in 2017 say their client is troubled his name is being associated with the mass killings at the two New Zealand mosques.
Charles-Olivier Gosselin and Jean-Claude Gingras released a statement Friday stating convicted killer Alexandre Bissonnetteis was not looking for his acts to be imitated or to serve as a model for others.
Bissonnette was sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole for 40 years. Both the prosecution and his lawyers have recently announced they are appealing against the sentence.
Gosselin and Gingras said Bissonnette profoundly regrets what he did and had been very affected by the shootings in NZ.
UN is ‘appalled’
The UN says Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “is shocked and appalled at the terrorist attack” in NZ and is urging people everywhere to work better together “counter Islamophobia and eliminate intolerance and violent extremism”.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters on Friday local time that the UN chief stressed “the sanctity of mosques and all places of worship”.
Mr Dujarric said Guterres also “calls upon all people on this holy day for Muslims to show signs of solidarity with the bereaved Islamic community”.
PewDiePie says he feels sickened
Swedish YouTube personality PewDiePie says he feels sickened that the gunman in the NZ mosque attacks referred to him during a livestream of the shooting.
In the video posted on Facebook, a voice is heard saying “Remember lads … subscribe to PewDiePie”.
PewDiePie, whose real name is Felix Kjellberg, said on Twitter that he was “absolutely sickened having my name uttered by this person. My heart and thoughts go out to the victims, families and everyone affected.”
PewDiePie is famous for his video game commentaries and has about 86 million followers. YouTube distanced itself from him in the past after he made jokes criticised as anti-Semitic and posted Nazi imagery in his videos. He has apologised.
He is engaged in an online battle with Indian music channel T-Series over which channel has the most subscribers. Supporters post messages encouraging others to subscribe to his channel, with the phrase “subscribe to PewDiePie”.
Facebook removes video
Facebook says it has taken down a video of shootings at a NZ mosque and removed the alleged shooter’s accounts from its platforms after being alerted by police.
The man who allegedly carried out the shootings in Christchurch on Friday reportedly broadcast 17 minutes of the attack on a Facebook livestream. Facebook New Zealand spokeswoman Mia Garlick said in a statement that the company was “also removing any praise or support for the crime and the shooter or shooters as soon as we’re aware”.
She said the company “will continue working directly with New Zealand Police as their response and investigation continues”.
Both YouTube owner Google and Twitter also say they’re working to remove video of the shootings from their sites.
Some flights cancelled
National carrier Air New Zealand has cancelled at least 17 flights in and out of Christchurch, saying it could not screen customer sand their baggage following the deadly shootings at two mosques.
The airline said some smaller planes travelling on regional routes were cancelled while larger jet planes would continue landing and taking off due to security screening processes already in place.
with AP and AAP
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