Top StoryWorld News

Suspected white supremacist charged with murder after New Zealand mosque shootings

230

Australian Brenton Harrison Tarrant, 28, a suspected white supremacist, was charged with murder on Saturday after 49 people were killed and dozens wounded in mass shootings at two New Zealand mosques.

Tarrant, handcuffed and wearing a white prison suit, stood silently in the Christchurch District Court where he was remanded without a plea. He is due back in court on April 5 and police said he was likely to face further charges.

Friday’s attack, which Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern labelled as terrorism, was the worst ever peacetime mass killing in New Zealand and the country had raised its security threat level to the highest.

Tarrant has been described as a suspected white supremacist, based on his social media activity.

Footage of the attack on one of the mosques was broadcast live on Facebook, and a “manifesto” denouncing immigrants as “invaders” was also posted online via links to related social media accounts.

The video showed a man driving to the Al Noor mosque, entering it and shooting randomly at people with a semi-automatic rifle with high-capacity magazines. Worshippers, possibly dead or wounded, lay on the floor, the video showed.

At one stage the shooter returns to his car, changes weapons, re-enters the mosque and again begins shooting. The camera attached to his head recording the massacre follows the barrel of his weapon, like some macabre video game.

Forty-one people were killed at the Al Noor mosque.

Police said the alleged shooter took seven minutes to travel to the second mosque in the suburb of Linwood, where seven people were killed. No images have emerged from the second mosque.

Tarrant was arrested in a car, which police said was carrying improvised explosive devices, 36 minutes after they were first called.

“The offender was mobile, there were two other firearms in the vehicle that the offender was in, and it absolutely was his intention to continue with his attack,” Ardern told reporters in Christchurch on Saturday.

Ardern’s office said the suspect had sent the “manifesto” in a bulk email that included a generic address for the Prime Minister, the opposition leader, speaker of the parliament and around 70 media outlets a matter of minutes before the attack.

A spokesman said the email didn’t describe the specific incident and there was “nothing in the content or timing that would have been able to prevent the attack.”

The staff member monitoring the accounts sent it to parliamentary services as soon as they saw it, who sent it to police, the spokesman said.

The visiting Bangladesh cricket team was arriving for prayers at one of the mosques when the shooting started but all members were safe, a team coach told Reuters.

Two other people were in custody and police said they were seeking to understand whether they were involved in any way.

REUTERS

Leave a comment

Related Articles

FG terminates Julius Berger’s N740bln Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano road project

The Federal Ministry of Works has issued a 14-day termination notice to...

Election Day Showdown: Harris and Trump Hold Duelling Rallies as Polls Reach Dead Heat

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump held rival rallies on Monday, the final...

Just in: FG withdraws treason charges against #Endbadgovernance protesters

The Federal High Court in Abuja has terminated the treason charges brought...

Breaking: Pres. Tinubu orders release of #EndBadGovernance underage protesters

President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate release of all minors arrested...

Equatorial Guinea government official embroiled in sextape scandal

Mr. Baltasar Engonga, Director General of the National Financial Investigation Agency (ANIF)...

Just in: Seven new ministers take oaths of office

President Bola Tinubu has sworn in seven newly appointed ministers, directing them...

Just in: Appeal Court acquits ex-CJN, Onnoghen, orders FG to unfreeze his account

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Monday discharged and acquitted...

Just in: UK Conservative Party elects former Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch as new leader

Former British Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch has emerged as the new leader...

ECOWAS, Nigeria, Morocco, Mauritania Commit to $26bln African Atlantic Gas Pipeline Project

“The project, conceived in 2016 during King Mohammed VI of Morocco’s visit...

#EndBadGovernance protests: AGF to Police: Transfer casefiles of 72 defendants to my office

The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince...

Updated: Abuja Court grants N1.1 bln bail to 114 #EndBadGovernance protesters

A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted a N10 million bail...

Just in: 76 #EndBadGovernance protesters arraigned in Abuja

The detained 76 #EndBadGovernance protesters just arrived at the Federal High Court...

Breaking: 10 fatalities confirmed as building collapses in Ibadan

A weehours building collapse in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Thursday...

Breaking: After five hours of screening, Senate confirms Bianca Ojukwu, six others as ministers

The Senate on Wednesday screened and confirmed the nominations of Ambassador Bianca...

Senate begins screening of seven ministerial nominees

The Senate has started screening the seven ministerial nominees of President Bola...

Alleged homosexuality: RCCG suspends two pastors, launches investigation

For allegedly breaching the church’s doctrine and the Holy Bible, two pastors...

Helicopter crash: NNPC Ltd. spokesman Soneye cancels golden jubilee birthday celebration in honour of departed souls

Mr. Olufemi Soneye, the chief corporate communications officer of the Nigerian National...

Biden in 30-minute phone call with Tinubu, hails Binance executive release

President Bola Tinubu and US President Joe Biden held a 30-minute phone...

Tinubu Receives Briefing on Local Currency Oil Sales Amid Pricing Disputes

President Bola Tinubu has received a briefing from the Implementation Committee on...

Kcee and Flavour engage in heated exchange over Igbo music style

The Nigerian music industry is once again witnessing a brewing fiery clash...