49 people have been killed and 42 wounded in mass shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand on Thursday. Three people are in custody in connection to the shootings, police confirm.
**Follow all of the events on the Breitbart News Live Wire below. All times in eastern.**
5:01 PM — (AP) — A man who can’t find out information about what happened to his father and two brothers in one of the New Zealand mosques that were attacked has pushed through police barricades in an effort to get closer. A police officer stopped Ash Mohammed, who told the officer “we just want to know if they are dead or alive.”
Mohammed said Saturday that he has repeatedly called cellphones for his relatives that rang unanswered and then appeared to have run out of battery power. He says he has not heard from his father and brother since Friday, when they went to the mosque.
Mohammed says he had planned to join them for prayers but did not because an appointment he had with a lawyer about buying a house went late.
4:46 PM — (AP) — A senior Turkish official says the suspect arrested in the New Zealand mosque attack travelled to Turkey multiple times and spent what the official called an “extended period of time in the country.
He says the suspect may have also travelled to countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with Turkish government rules. The official says an investigation is underway of “the suspect’s movements and contacts within the country.”
He did not say when the suspect travelled to Turkey.
4:44 PM — New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern holds a press briefing on the deadly New Zealand mosque shootings.
4:30 PM —
4:00 PM — President Donald Trump takes questions on the deadly New Zealand mosque shootings during a veto ceremony of a Congressional effort to block his emergency declaration at the U.S.-Mexico border.
3:45 PM — President Donald Trump offers condolences to those impacted by the deadly New Zealand mosque shootings.
3:41 PM — New York Times’ Wajahat Ali blames the New Zealand mosque shootings on President Donald Trump enabling white nationalism.
3:40 PM — (AP) — Officials say nine Indian nationals or people of Indian origin are missing after the mosque attacks in Christchurch. India’s high commissioner to New Zealand, Sanjiv Kohli, tweeted Saturday that nine people were missing and called the attack a “huge crime against humanity.”
Indian officials have not said whether the nine were believed to be living in Christchurch. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a letter to New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern saying that “hatred and violence have no place in diverse and democratic societies.”
An immigrant-hating white nationalist killed at least 49 people gathered for weekly prayers in a live-streamed attack. Another 48 people suffered gunshot wounds.
3:38 PM — Christchurch Mayor Lianne Daziel holds a press briefing on the mosque shootings:
3:24 PM — New Zealand police say three people are in custody, suggesting one was released.
3:18 PM —
3:16 PM — Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) appears to claim a so-called U.S. “white supremacy” agenda inspired the New Zealand mosque shootings.
3:15 PM —
2:48 PM — Suspected New Zealand mosque gunman Brenton Tarrant scheduled to appear in Christchurch District Court to face murder charges on Saturday, according to the New Zealand Herald.
A police statement reads: “Our investigations are in their early stages and we will be looking closely to build a picture of any of the individuals involved and all of their activities prior to this horrific event. There is no guarantee the risk is limited to Canterbury and we need all New Zealanders to be extra vigilant. Our message to you is simple: if you see something suspicious, say something – call 111 immediately. Police is aware there are distressing materials related to this event circulating widely online. We would urge anyone who has been affected by seeing these materials to seek appropriate support.”
2:42 PM — Radio New Zealand reports a 5-year-old girl and her father are among the dead.
2:37 PM — German Chancellor Angela Merkel addresses the New Zealand mosque shootings:
2:25 PM — Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen issues a statement on the New Zealand mosque shootings, says the agency is “not aware of any current, credible, or active threats” in the U.S.
2:22 PM — The Daily Beast just got busted pushing fake news:
2:16 PM — New York Times’ Wajahat Ali admits to spreading false information about President Donald and Breitbart News:
2:15 PM — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued a statement on the New Zealand mosque shootings:
1:34 PM — ICYMI:
12:47 PM — A must-listen:
12:41 PM — USA Today’s David Jackson busted spreading fake news about Breitbart News and President Donald Trump.
12:14 PM — First lady Melania Trump offers condolences following the shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand:
12:05 PM — White House official Mercedes Schlapp comments on President Donald Trump’s mention in the suspected Christchurch mosque gunman’s manifesto:
11:59 AM — Former Vice President Joe Biden on New Zealand shooting: “We cannot stand by as mosques are turned into murder scenes.”
11:52 AM — ICYMI:
11:34 AM — Suspected New Zealand mosque gunman Brenton Tarrant was raised in the small town of Grafton, Australia, was a personal trainer, and previously traveled to exotic countries, according to the Daily Mail.
Now details of his background are emerging, including his upbringing in the rural New South Wales town of Grafton which he left shortly after his father Rodney died of cancer when Brenton was in his early 20s. […]
Tarrant claimed in a so-called ‘manifesto’ to have made money trading Bitcoin, enabling him to travel the world. He also spoke of visiting a wide range of countries including Pakistan, and a photograph showed him on a tourist trip to North Korea. […]
One woman who knew Tarrant before he left Grafton said he worked as a personal trainer who was obsessed with fitness but seemed like a well-adjusted young man.
11:21 AM — (AP) — Pakistan’s foreign ministry says four Pakistanis were wounded in mass shootings at two mosques in the New Zealand city of Christchurch. Ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal tweeted that five other Pakistani citizens are missing after Friday’s attacks. He said Pakistani diplomats in New Zealand are in contact with local authorities.
Separately, the ministry said Pakistan views the attacks as an “assault on the values of freedom of conscience and association common to all mankind.”
It asked New Zealand to take immediate action to bring the perpetrators to justice and ensure the safety of the Muslim community.
11:21 AM — Attorney General William Barr issues a statement on the New Zealand mosque mass shootings:
10:57 AM — (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says at least three Turkish citizens were injured in attacks on Muslim worshippers in New Zealand and that he has spoken to one of them. Addressing an election rally on Friday, Erdogan described a suspect in the attacks as “impertinent, immoral, vile and scum” and said he had chosen innocent worshippers as an easy target.
He told the crowd: “As Muslims, we will never bow our heads, but we will never fall to the level of these vile people.”
New Zealand authorities have arrested and charged a man with murder in what appeared to be a carefully planned racist attack. At least 49 people died. Dozens of demonstrators protested the shootings after Friday prayers in Istanbul.
10:41 AM — ICYMI:
10:24 AM — New Zealand synagogues will be closed on Shabbat (Friday sundown to Saturday nightfall) for the first time in the country’s history following the deadly Christchurch mosque shootings.
10:20 AM — Breitbart News’ Allum Bokhari breaks down the suspected Christchurch mosque shooter’s manifesto.
10:11 AM — White House press secretary Sarah Sanders issues a statement on the New Zealand mosque shootings:
9:51 AM — NYPD says there are no credible threats to the Muslim community of New York City.
9:19 AM — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo offers condolences following the shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand:
8:30 AM — (AP) — Bangladesh’s honorary consul in Auckland, New Zealand, says three Bangladeshis were killed in Friday’s mosque attacks in Christchurch and at least four others were injured. Shafiqur Rahman Bhuiyan says “so far” three Bangladeshis are among the 49 people killed in the shootings. He said two of the injured Bangladeshis are in critical condition.
He says one person’s leg had to be amputated and another has gunshot wounds to his chest. New Zealand health authorities say a total of 48 people are being treated at Christchurch Hospital for gunshot wounds.
8:00 AM — (AP) — Facebook says it has taken down a video of shootings at a New Zealand mosque and removed the alleged shooter’s accounts from its platforms after being alerted by police. The man who allegedly carried out the shootings in Christchurch on Friday reportedly broadcast 17 minutes of the attack on a Facebook livestream.
Facebook New Zealand spokeswoman Mia Garlick said in a statement that the company is “also removing any praise or support for the crime and the shooter or shooters as soon as we’re aware.”
She said the company “will continue working directly with New Zealand Police as their response and investigation continues.”
7:55 AM — President Donald Trump offers condolences following the shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand:
6:00 AM — (AP) — National carrier Air New Zealand has canceled at least 17 flights in and out of Christchurch, saying it couldn’t screen customers and their baggage following deadly shootings at two mosques. The airline said some smaller planes traveling on regional routes were canceled while larger jet planes would continue landing and taking off due to security screening processes already in place.
Typically, passengers on smaller turboprop aircraft traveling to or from Christchurch don’t go through security screening and are able to walk right onto the plane. Air New Zealand said the safety of its customers and employees was paramount and apologized for the inconvenience.
Police say at least 49 people were killed in the shootings during Friday prayers at the mosques.
4:40 AM — Death toll rises to 49 as more wounded treated in local hospitals and a man is charged with murder.
3:51 AM — Two backpacks which were left unattended near Britomart Train Station in Auckland blown up by the NZ Defence Force.
2:48 AM — Canterbury District Health Board CEO says 48 patients with gunshot wounds are being treated at Christchurch Hospital after two shootings at mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.
2:36 AM — New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern says two “explosives” were “attached to the suspects’ cars,” suggesting there was a “degree of planning” regarding the two mosque shootings in Christchurch. The four suspects were not on a terror-watch list prior to the shootings.
2:34 AM — New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern says 40 people are dead in two mosque shootings in Christchurch. 10 people died at the Linwood Avenue mosque, while 30 died at the Deans Avenue mosque.
2:05 AM — NYPD and LAPD are boosting security at mosques in New York City and Los Angeles following shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, according to CBS News.
2:01 AM — Australian prime minister Scott Morrison confirms suspected Christchurch mosque shooter is an Australian-born citizen.
1:45 AM — (AP) — Indonesia’s foreign minister says six Indonesians were at the Al Noor Mosque in New Zealand when a shooting occurred and three of them escaped. Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said, “We are looking for three other Indonesian citizens.”
Police have described multiple fatalities in shootings at two mosques in the city of Christchurch and say four people are in custody. The Indonesian Embassy in Wellington sent a team to Christchurch that is coordinating with New Zealand officials.
The foreign ministry says there are 330 Indonesian citizens in Christchurch, 130 of them students. It said it strongly condemns the attack. “The government and the people of Indonesia convey deep condolences to the victims and their families.”
1:26 AM — (AP) — New Zealand police say they’re not aware of other suspects beyond the four who have been arrested after two mosque shootings but they can’t be certain.
Police Commissioner Mike Bush did not elaborate on the suspects who are in custody.
The shootings occurred at two mosques in the Christchurch area during Friday afternoon prayers.
A witness described multiple deaths at the Masjid Al Noor mosque in central Christchurch. A witness who heard about five gunshots at the suburban Linwood Masjid Mosque said two wounded people were carried out on stretchers.
1:07 AM —
12:58 AM — New Zealand police say school lockdowns in Christchurch are now lifted, children and staff are free to leave.
12:47 AM — Four people are now in custody in connection to the Christchurch mosque shootings, say New Zealand Police. Three are men and one is a woman. IEDs were found on vehicles. Their ownership is unclear. Police say they are not assuming the shootings are isolated to Christchurch and asked people not assume that they are not in further danger.
12:28 AM — The Herald Sun reports 28-year-old Australian man Brenton Tarrant has been confirmed as one of the Christchurch shooters.
12:24 AM — A Muslim man chased after the suspected shooters and fired two shots at them as they sped off from the second mosque shooting in Linwood, according to the New Zealand Herald.
12:15 AM — San Francisco Police say extra officers are being dispatched to mosques in the city after two mosque shootings in New Zealand.
12:06 AM — Police tell reporters a second gunman may still be on the loose following shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, reports ABC News.
12:04 AM — The alleged New Zealand Mosque attacker appears to have used a semi-automatic long gun. Caliber is not clear. The legal acquisition of such a gun involves numerous hurdles, including licensing and background checks.”
11:55 PM — (AP) — Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says following fatal shootings at two mosques in Christchurch it is “one of New Zealand’s darkest days.
Police said there were multiple fatalities and one person was in custody, but no details were immediately available. Ardern said at a Friday afternoon news conference, “what has happened here is an extraordinary and unprecedented act of violence.” She said while many people affected 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.”
11:35 PM — New Zealand police commissioner Mike Bush says there are “multiple fatalities” at two mosques in Christchurch. One individual in custody, “but we are unsure if there are other people.”
11:33 PM — New Zealand prime minister issues a statement on the shooting:
11:30 PM — A second mosque shooting is now being reported in Christchurch, via the Associated Press: “New Zealand media say a shooting has occurred in a second mosque in the city of Christchurch.
“No details were immediately available.”
The first mosque has been identified as the Masjid Al Noor.
The number of wounded has risen to 50 and one man is reported to be in custody.
11:15 PM — A video posted online shows the gunman, who appears to be a white man in his thirties, driving into an alley near the first mosque and retrieving several rifles in succession from the trunk of his car, along with several extra clips of ammunition. Each of the rifles is scrawled with white writing.
In the footage, which Breitbart News will not post, the gunman approaches the door of the mosque and shoots the people standing there. He then enters the mosque and shoots people in the hallway and in the prayer area. As people duck for cover and try to escape, or huddle together for protection, he shoots them repeatedly. He then returns to his car, retrieves another rifle, and returns, shooting into the pile of bodies and then leaving. He also fires down the street; as he drives away, he is seen firing shots from the car, though the targets are unclear.
A Twitter profile under the name “Brenton Tarrant” posted a manifesto, as well as several close-up shots of what appear to be the rifles used in the attack, where the white writing is more legible. It appears to contain anti-migrant statements. The manifesto itself is an ideological hodgepodge, from socialism to white supremacy to environmentalism. He identifies himself as a fascist and talks about a racial war in the U.S.
New Zealand has restrictive gun laws, of the sort proposed by gun control advocates in the United States.
As one American who emigrated to New Zealand, and who favors gun control, wrote in a 2012 article:
Purchase or import of military style semi-automatics and all handguns must be individually approved by, and registered with, the New Zealand police.
Without a valid and current firearms license, you cannot legally purchase any firearm other than a pellet gun anywhere in New Zealand. There is probably a black market or some other means of acquiring a firearm illegally, but firearms recovered from drug busts or other organised criminal activities typically amount to hunting rifles or pump action shot guns. Handguns and military style semi-automatics are rare, difficult to obtain, and very expensive.
So how do Kiwis go about getting their hands on guns?
The process for obtaining a basic firearms license is long, complicated and expensive. In other words, designed to weed out a broad portion of the population that the law deems unsuitable to possess a firearm.
The Associated Press and Breitbart News’ Simon Kent contributed to this report.
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