Christchurch, New Zealand. 49 people have been left dead and more than 20 seriously injured in a terrorist attack at two mosques.
According to the latest reports, the previous figure of 40 dead has been amended in a press conference, with the possibility of it rising further still in the coming hours.
The deaths come from both the Linwood mosque and the Masjid Al Noor mosque, which were attacked in what is the deadliest shooting in the country’s history.
The person who has committed this violent act has no place here. To those in Christchurch; I encourage you to stay inside and follow the instructions of @nzpolice. The Police Commissioner will be making a public statement at 5pm. I will update everyone again later this evening.
— Jacinda Ardern (@jacindaardern) March 15, 2019
So far, one man in his late twenties has been charged with murder and is due to appear in court on Saturday.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told a media conference this morning: “It is clear that this can now only be described as a terrorist attack.”
What has happened in Christchurch is an extraordinary act of unprecedented violence. It has no place in New Zealand. Many of those affected will be members of our migrant communities – New Zealand is their home – they are us.
— Jacinda Ardern (@jacindaardern) March 15, 2019
“They have chosen to make New Zealand their home, and it is their home, they are us,” she added.
“The person who has perpetuated this violence against us is not, they have no place in New Zealand.”
At present several people have been detained, though just the one man has been charged.
During the attack, one gunman live-streamed footage to his Facebook through a camera mounted on his head. The footage showed him firing at men, women and children at point-blank range inside the Al-Noor mosque. Facebook is currently working to take down any copies of the footage.
49 people have died in the New Zealand mosque shootings, Police Commissioner Mike Bush says. One person has been charged with murder
Latest updates: https://t.co/utMC9lEErV pic.twitter.com/Hrb7sTKxiS
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) March 15, 2019
Authorities in Christchurch advised all mosques to close down, whilst police have so far been unable to rule out the idea that the man who has been charged wasn’t working with accomplices.
Australian citizen Brenton Tarrant, 28, has been identified as the key suspect. He supposedly authored a 74-page manifesto entitled The Great Replacement, which supposedly contains evidence that he planned to carry out the deadly attack to avenge the deaths of thousands in Europe.
What a truly cruel world we live in. No one should live in fear of practising their own faith, and our thoughts and prayers go out to all the victims and their loved ones.
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