Multiple deaths in shootings at 2 New Zealand mosques

Multiple people were killed on Friday in mass shootings at two mosques in the New Zealand city of Christchurch, with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern describing it as “one of New Zealand’s darkest days”.

The mosques — Masjid al Noor in central Christchurch and the other one in suburban Linwood — were packed with worshippers gathering for Friday afternoon prayers, and members of the Bangladesh cricket team were arriving when the shooter opened fire.

Police urged people to stay indoors and not to visit mosques "anywhere in New Zealand" as they tried to determine if more than one gunman was involved.

A Palestinian man in the mosque, who did not want to give his name, said he saw a man shot in the head.

"I heard three quick shots then after about 10 seconds it started again it must have been an automatic no one could pull a trigger that quick," he told AFP.

"Then people started running out. Some were covered in blood."

Police Commissioner Mike Bush said he could not confirm how many casualties have taken place but the local media placed the death toll at 27.

Arrests

New Zealand police said four people, including one woman, were taken into custody in connection to shootings at the two mosques.

Multiple improvised explosive devices, that were found on vehicles after the shootings, were defused, police said.

Bush did not confirm if authorities were treating the shooting as a terror attack but said that: "It does not get more serious than this."

He refused to provide any details regarding the situation but warned against assuming that the danger had passed.

"We are not aware of other people, but we cannot assume there are not others at large," he told the press.

The South Island city was placed in lockdown as police hunted for an “active shooter".

Unconfirmed reports said the shooter was wearing military-style clothing. According to the BBC, an unverified video has emerged on social media that was reportedly recorded by the attacker during the shooting.

'Unprecedented act of violence'

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern described the incident as an "unprecedented act of violence".

"I would describe it as an unprecedented act of violence. An act that has absolutely no place in New Zealand. This is not who we are," she said in a press conference.

"It I can tell you now this is and will be one of New Zealand's darkest days."

Ardern confirmed that one person had been taken under custody. She alluded to anti-immigrant sentiment as the possible motive, saying that while many people affected by the shootings may be migrants or refugees “they have chosen to make New Zealand their home, and it is their home. They are us. The person who has perpetuated this violence against us is not”.

'Blood everywhere'

One witness told stuff.co.nz he was praying in the Deans Ave mosque when he heard shooting and saw his wife lying dead on the footpath outside when he fled. Another man said he saw children being shot.

“There were bodies all over me,” he said.

Local media said another mosque had been evacuated.

An eyewitness told Radio New Zealand he heard shots fired and four people were lying on the ground, with “blood everywhere”.

Police commissioner Mike Bush said all schools in the city had been placed in lockdown in response to “a serious ongoing firearms incident”.

“Police urge anyone in central Christchurch to stay off the streets and report any suspicious behaviour,” he said in a statement.

Central city buildings, including the Civic Offices and Central Library, were also locked down.

The city council offered a helpline for parents looking for kids attending a mass climate change rally nearby.

“Please do not try and come and collect your children until police say it is safe for people to come into the central city,” they said.

In the aftermath of the shooting, the Test match between New Zealand and Bangladesh that was due to take place tomorrow in Christchurch was cancelled.

Mass shootings are rare in New Zealand, which tightened its gun laws to restrict access to semi-automatic rifles in 1992, two years after a mentally disturbed man shot dead 13 people in the South Island town of Aramoana.

However, anyone over 16 can apply for a standard firearms licence after doing a safety course, which allows them to purchase and use a shotgun unsupervised.

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