Mass Killer 'Inspired by Anders Breivik'
Forty-nine people have been killed and at least 20 wounded in shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.
BBC 15 MAR 2019
From Personal Trainer to Headcam Mass Killer
He described himself as an "ordinary white man". But in the early hours of this morning, 28-year-old Brenton Tarrant unleashed carnage on a mosque in New Zealand.
He was known as a "lovely" young man from a respected family. He attended a state school before working as a personal trainer at a local gym in the Australian riverside town of Grafton.
But he will now be remembered as one of the orchestrators and gunmen behind the horrific shootings in Christchurch that left at least 49 dead. Tarrant filmed his attack with a headcam in a Facebook Live video.
He claimed to have been inspired by Norway mass killer Anders Breivik and wanted to avenge "thousands of deaths caused by foreign invaders".
Dressed in a military-style, camouflage outfit, Tarrant was carrying an automatic rifle when he entered the Al Noor mosque with the words: "Let's get this party started".
As one worshipper said, you could hear a pin drop. Then came the deafening crack of gunfire.
The Suspects
Three men and one woman are confirmed to be in police custody. A white male dressed in camouflage, army-style clothing who identified himself as Brenton Tarrant filmed himself opening fire in the Al Noor mosque.
New Zealand's Prime Minister called the incident a terror attack, and said the suspects held extremist views, but had not been on any police watchlists.
Tarrant left a 74-page anti-immigrant manifesto in which he explained who he was and his reasoning for his actions. He said he considered it a terrorist attack.
A still image taken from video circulated on social media, apparently taken by a gunman and posted online live as the attack unfolded Credit: Reuters...
The 28-year-old was born in Australia. He said he was of Scottish, Irish and English stock and moved to New Zealand temporarily to plan and train and then stayed there after deciding to conduct the attack.
“I have read the writings of Dylann Roof and many others, but only really took true inspiration from Knight Justiciar Breivik,” he wrote.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said: "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.
"As family members with our New Zealand cousins today, we grieve, we are shocked, we are appalled, we are outraged, and we stand here and condemn absolutely the attack that occurred today by an extremist, right-wing, violent terrorist."
The Victims
New Zealand's Prime Minister has confirmed 49 people dead with another 20 seriously injured in today's attacks.
Malaysia's High Commission in New Zealand said on Friday that one Malaysian national was injured in one of the mosque shootings, and is currently receiving treatment.
The Bangladesh cricket team was arriving for Friday prayers when the shooting occurred but all members were safe, a team coach said.
New Zealand's 'darkest day'
A solemn New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Friday the deadly mosque shootings in Christchurch had plunged the country into one of its "darkest days".
"Clearly, what has happened here is an extraordinary and unprecedented act of violence," Ardern said in an address to a shocked nation.
"Many of those who will have been directly affected by this shooting may be migrants to New Zealand, they may even be refugees here," Ardern said.
"They have chosen to make New Zealand their home, and it is their home. They are us. The person who has perpetuated this violence against us is not."
"They should have been in a safe environment," she said.
UPDATE;
Christchurch Mosque Hero Tackled Gunman and Grabbed Weapon After He Opened Fire
The brave bystander potentially saved dozens of lives during the attack on Linwood mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, led by white supremacist Brenton Tarrant
Syed Mazharuddin witnessed the event unfolding (Image: NZ Herald)
A heroic bystander tackled a gunman and grabbed his weapon after he opened fire at worshippers at a mosque in New Zealand.
Syed Mazharuddin witnessed the terrifying moment at Christchurch's Linwood Mosque during a terrorist attack that claimed the lives of seven people.
Mazharuddin said the gunman entered the mosque and began shooting indiscriminately at worshippers, causing them to flee.
"People got feared and there was screaming around and I tried to take cover," he told the New Zealand Herald .
"By the time I took cover this guy came through the main entrance door and it's a small mosque - there were about 60-70 people there.
"Just around the entrance door there were elderly people sitting there praying and he just started shooting at them."
A young man who worked at the mosque bravely saw his opportunity and pounced on the shooter, taking his gun in the process.
"The hero tried to chase and he couldn't find the trigger in the gun ... he ran behind him but there were people waiting for him in the car and he fled."
The fate of the unnamed hero is unclear but Mazharuddin said two of his friends died in the attack.
"I ran out and then the police came and they didn't let me come back in again so I couldn't save my friend, he was bleeding heavily," he said.
"It took almost half an hour, more than half an hour by the time the ambulance could arrive and I think he must have died."
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