Editorial

Mass shootout in two mosques leaves 40 dead in New Zealand

At least 40 people have been left dead and more than 20 injured after gunmen opened fire in two mosques in New Zealand, Christchurch. The affected mosques include Al Noor

  • PublishedMarch 15, 2019

At least 40 people have been left dead and more than 20 injured after gunmen opened fire in two mosques in New Zealand, Christchurch.

The affected mosques include Al Noor Mosque on Deans Avenue near Hagley Park in the center of the city, and Linwood Mosque.

According to the New Zealand police commissioner, Mike Bush, four people, three men and one woman, have been arrested in relation to the attack.

“We are unsure if there are any other locations outside of that area that are under threat. Anyone who was thinking of going to a mosque anywhere in New Zealand today not to go. To close your doors until you hear from us again,” he said.

 

The Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, called it a terrorist attack and said it was “one of New Zealand’s darkest days”. It is the worst mass shooting in the country’s history. She condemned the ideology behind the attack, saying: “You may have chosen us but we utterly reject and condemn you.”

Few moments before the attack, a gunman posted a manifesto on Twitter and 8chan (an online forum). It also contained a link to his Facebook page, which aired a live recording of the attack. The 17-minute video shows the gunman entering one of the mosques and firing at the worshipers. He runs to his car, changes the weapon and gets back, shoots at more worshipers in the mosque and the drives away.

The police took to twitter to confirm that they are aware of the “distressing footage relating to the incident in Christchurch circulating online.” The police also added that they are working towards having the footage removed. They urged the citizens not to share the footage or the graphic images of the attack.

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