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New Zealand shooting: mosque massacre suspect appears in court – latest updates New Zealand shooting: Jacinda Ardern confirms children among victims of massacre – latest updates
(about 2 hours later)
Across the road from the mosque people have begun writing messages of love pic.twitter.com/g2IDZAOSnr Authorities in New Zealand have not said exactly what type of firearm was used in the mosque attacks, but prime minister Jacinda Ardern did say in a press conference this afternoon that the weapons “appear to have been modified.”
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is expected to speak to the media in the coming hours. She visited the Canterbury Refugee Centre in Christchurch this morning, meeting people along with deputy PM WInston Peters and opposition National party leader Simon Bridges. The weapons she was referring two were two semi-automatic rifles, part of the arsenal of five guns that were allegedly in the possession of Australian terror suspect Brenton Tarrant.
Bridges said: “This is not something that has happened to just the Islamic community, just Christchurch. It has happened to all New Zealanders. It is foreign to everything we believe, our values, tolerance and peaceful living, and getting along with one another.” Tarrant held a “category A” firearms licence, which is the entry level gun licence in New Zealand. It is fairly easy to obtain so long as you pass the police background check and complete a firearms safety course. There is no requirement to register category A firearms, meaning that gun owners are able to stockpile as many weapons as they like without being monitored.
Terrorist attacks of the nature seen in Christchurch are incredibly rare to New Zealand – this was the worst mass shooting in its history – however that is not the case for other countries. The category A licence entitles the holder to purchase any of more than 2,000 types of firearm, including semi-automatic rifles. It does not entitle them to hold a military-style semi automatic rifle (MSSA) which are restricted to a “category E” and, if owned legally, must be registered and stored securely.
Lois Beckett, a senior Guardian reporter in the US who specialises in covering the far-right, says Friday’s killings “appear to be the latest in a drumbeat of attacks motivated by the belief that the white race is endangered. The perceived threats include Jews, Muslims, immigrants, refugees, feminists and leftist politicians.” Ardern’s comments, together with earlier comments of police commissioner Mike Bush, suggest that Tarrant may have modified a gun that he was legally allowed to own — an ordinary semi-automatic rifle — into a MSSA using a high capacity magazine.
You can read more here. Bush told reporters on Saturday that a “category A” firearm holder “can purchase the firearms without the magazines or the things that will enable them to be in the state that they were.”
A history of recent attacks linked to white supremacy The sale of high-capacity magazines is unregulated in New Zealand.
Some images from reporter Melissa Davey, who is in Christchurch According to Philip Alpers, a gun policy expert from the Sydney School of Public Health at Sydney University, using a high-capacity magazine would “make those firearms technically illegal… but would be very easy to acquire.”
Every now and then the police tape is lifted and a hearse drives out. Support services are here for when that happens. Police Association President Chris Cahill welcomed the Prime Minister’s early commitment to changing New Zealand’s gun laws. “We cannot ignore the role of guns in this event,” he said.
New Zealand’s top-tier rugby league club is offering free entry for today’s season-opening match against Australia’s Canterbury Bulldogs as a way for New Zealanders to unite. Mr Cahill added: “Jacinda Ardern has said emphatically that New Zealand’s gun laws will change and that now is the time for that change. I absolutely agree with her and I believe many New Zealanders will be aghast that in our country someone can amass a cache of weapons like that discovered in this Christchurch tragedy.”
CEO Cameron George said: “New Zealand is hurting. We are New Zealand’s team in the NRL [National Rugby League] 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.” The Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, has just given a press conference. He confirmed that the main suspect “was on nobody’s radar” and that “this is the real challenge with regard to terrorism”.
You can read more about the match, in Auckland’s Mount Smart stadium, here. He denounced comments by an Australian senator that blamed the massacre on immigration laws. Fraser Anning’s comments were “appalling” and “ugly” and have no place in Australia or the Australian parliament, he said.
Fuller added that the family of the Australian suspect approached New South Wales police after seeing coverage of the terrorist attack. Morrison said it was too early to tell whether the shooting suspect, an Australian, would be extradited, saying the process begins with New Zealand’s justice system.
Police in New South Wales have said they will be increasing their public presence after the attacks but emphasised that there were no live threats in terms of terrorism. “It is important that we stand united,” says police commissioner Michael Fuller He revealed his personal shock at the events in Christchurch, saying he had lived in New Zealand for some years. “This is a traumatic and tectonic event for New Zealand - it’s such a peaceful place,” he said. “I lived there for some years. For this to happen is incredibly distressing.”
A spokesman for the Imam Council of Sydney has just spoken of the need for unity. He says the “intent was to inspire more hatred and violence. To provide some sort of sick leadership and what we say today is no. Peace and love will triumph.”
“It feels like it’s happened at home,” he says. “The key message is that we are in it all together, we are in the same boat. Children are among the 49 killed in yesterday’s terrorist attacks on two mosques in Christchurch, prime minister Jacinda Ardern has said
“The terrorists do this with one objective: to divide and fragment our society and that is precise what we need to guard against.” The main suspect intended to continue his attack and had modified weapons but was arrested by two community police officers, she said. There were two other firearms were in his vehicle and he was arrested 36 minutes after the first emergency call
A 28-year-old man, Brenton Tarrant, has appeared in court in Christchurch charged with murder following the attack on two mosques yesterday in which 49 people have died. New Zealand police say more charges are likely to be laid. No application for bail was made and he is due to appear in court again on 5 April. He is facing one count of murder but there will be further charges
Thirty-nine people are in hospital, 11 are in intensive care, ranging from children to the elderly
A 28-year-old Australian man, Brenton Tarrant, has appeared in court on Saturday morning charged with murder. No application for bail was made and he is due to appear in court again on 5 April.
The city has united in grief, with floral tributes being laid at mosques across the country, including at the botanic gardens close to the sites of both attacks. Religious leaders and charitable organisations have flocked to the area to offer support.The city has united in grief, with floral tributes being laid at mosques across the country, including at the botanic gardens close to the sites of both attacks. Religious leaders and charitable organisations have flocked to the area to offer support.
Prime minister Jacinda Ardern has said the nation’s gun laws will change after it emerged the suspect had a firearms licence. She said he began legally stockpiling weapons in 2017 and had two semi-automatic weapons and two shotguns. Attorney general David Parker has reportedly told an Auckland rally the government will move to ban semi-automatic weapons. Earlier, Ardern has said the nation’s gun laws will change after it emerged the suspect had a firearms licence and began legally stockpiling weapons in 2017. He was carrying two semi-automatic weapons and two shotguns at the time of the attack.
Two boys, aged two and 13, are among the 36 injured being treated at Christchurch hospital, with 12 operating theatres working through the night. Most of the injured will need multiple operations, said chief of surgery Greg Robertson. Four for the 49 people who were killed died on the way to hospital. Two boys, aged two and 13, are among the injured being treated at Christchurch hospital, with 12 operating theatres working through the night. Most of the injured will need multiple operations, said chief of surgery Greg Robertson. Four for the 49 people who were killed died on the way to hospital.
A heightened police presence is visible across the country, including at mosques and public events, and the public have been urged to remain vigilant. Commissioner Mike Bush said: “We are not searching for anyone posing a threat but that doesn’t mean that they don’t exist.” The main suspect, one of four who were initially arrested, was taken into custody 36 minutes after the first emergency calls came in.A heightened police presence is visible across the country, including at mosques and public events, and the public have been urged to remain vigilant. Commissioner Mike Bush said: “We are not searching for anyone posing a threat but that doesn’t mean that they don’t exist.” The main suspect, one of four who were initially arrested, was taken into custody 36 minutes after the first emergency calls came in.
Leaders from around the world, including the Queen as head of state, have offered their condolences to those affected. Donald Trump offered sympathy and comfort during a call to Ardern but has separately said white nationalism is “not really” a growing threat when asked about the issue in light of Friday’s shooting.Leaders from around the world, including the Queen as head of state, have offered their condolences to those affected. Donald Trump offered sympathy and comfort during a call to Ardern but has separately said white nationalism is “not really” a growing threat when asked about the issue in light of Friday’s shooting.
The police apprehended the main suspect 36 minutes after they received the first call. Quite a bit of new information there so will bring that to you shortly in a summary
The car the main suspect was in had a device and the army was brought in to render that device safe. She says security authorities were aware of a global rise in violent rightwing extremism but that this individual was not on any watchlist for New Zealand or Australia.
Bush has gone through the four people arrested. He said one person was released quite early - “a member of the public who just wanted to get their kids home, but decided to take a firearm”. Further work will be done to ascertain if he should have been.
He said there was another couple arrested at a cordon, “and we are currently working through whether or not that person or those persons had any involvement in this incident”. She says the weapons used in the attack were modified and praised the two police officers who arrested the man. They were rural community cops from Lincoln, she said. They “put New Zealand first”.
Police commissioner Mike Bush: “I have no intel about a current imminent threat but I would never assume anything in this situation. Ardern:
We are not searching for anyone posing a threat but that doesn’t mean that they don’t exist. 39 people are in hospital, 11 are in intensive care, ranging from children to the elderly
I reach out to the public again to say that if you see something, say something.” Men, women and children are among those killed as well as injured
He has praised the work of everyone, from local authorities to St John Ambulance staff and, in particular, imams for their help in dealing with the aftermath. Police responded immediately to call received, and had main suspect in custody 36 minutes later
Police commission Mike Bush is speaking now. Two other firearms were in his vehicle and it was his intention to continue with his attack. He is facing one count of murder but there will be further charges
Police are working to build up a picture of the tragic event and a complex investigation is under way
Jacinda Ardern is speaking now
For those separated from family in yesterday’s s attacks, this Red Cross website enables you to register a missing person and register that you are alive.
New Zealand’s attorney general, David Parker, has warned of a global rise in extremism and said the government would ban semi-automatic rifles, the New Zealand Herald has reported.
He reportedly made the remarks at a vigil in Auckland’s Aotea Square to loud cheers.
“There is a dimming of enlightenment in many parts of the world,” he is quoted as saying, asking how can it be right that the atrocity was livestreamed and broadcast by social media companies.
His comments follow an earlier promise from the prime minister that gun laws will be changed. She said the main suspect had five firearms on him, including two semi-automatic weapons.