Gunman who opened fire on Christchurch mosque addresses attack in manifesto

https://www.news.com.au/world/pacific/gunman-who-opened-fire-on-christchurch-mosque-addresses-attack-in-manifesto/news-story/70372a39f720697813607a9ec426a734

A gunman who livestreamed himself opening fire at the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch and posted a manifesto online addressing his reasons for the attack has been charged with murder.

Forty-nine people have been killed after a gunman opened fire at two mosques in the New Zealand city.

Police have taken three people into custody after the gunman shot at worshippers as they gathered for Friday prayers.

Armed police were deployed around the Al Noor mosque on Deans Ave, where shooting broke out at 1.40pm (NZ time) on Friday, with the city’s schools and hospital locked down. A short time later, shots were fired at another mosque in Linwood Avenue.

Forty-one people were shot dead at the Deans Ave mosque, seven were killed at the Linwood Ave attack, and one person shot in the second mosque attack died in hospital.

The man, who identified himself on Twitter as “Brenton Tarrant” from Australia, livestreamed his deadly rampage and turned the camera on himself before carrying out the attack.

In a vile 73-page manifesto posted online, he described himself as “just a regular White man”.

The 28-year-old noted he was born “to a working class, low-income family … who decided to take a stand to ensure a future for my people”.

He will appear in court tomorrow morning charged with murder.


The gunman — whose background NSW counter-terrorism police are now investigating after the revelation that he is from Grafton — said he carried out the attack to “directly reduce immigration rates to European lands”.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed an individual taken into custody is an Australian-born citizen. He called him “an extremist, right-wing, violent terrorist”.

Sky News heard that the town of Grafton is in shock, trying to come to terms with how a “polite, well-mannered young man” came to find himself on a path that led to Christchurch.