Photograph: Marty Melville/AFP/Getty Images The national flag is flown at half-mast on a parliament building in Wellington. He escaped through the back door, but said his son-in-law was shot in the shoulder and his nephew was trapped inside. Mohammed, a Fijian Muslim who also did not wish to give his last name, was in Al Noor mosque when the shooting started. Hassan’s home is within the Al Noor police cordon, and he was unable to return on Friday night. Police told me: ‘I am sorry, this is the first time this has ever happened in this country.’” “I don’t know who of my friends is dead or alive now. “The shooter was screaming a lot and waving the gun in every direction, shooting, shooting, shooting,” he said. He was at the Linwood mosque’s Friday prayer service when the shooting began, and hit the floor as women around him rose up and screamed at the gunmen “Do not come here,” some of them charging towards the gunman. ![]() Hassan, 29, a Sri Lankan Muslim who has lived in New Zealand for six months, said he came to the country for its “peace, and because there are no wars”. Linwood mosque attack graphic ‘Where are we safe now?’ None of the suspects were on terrorism watchlists, Ardern said. New Zealand’s threat level has been raised from low to high. Ardern condemned the ideology of the people behind the shootings, saying: “You may have chosen us but we utterly reject and condemn you.” The Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, called the massacre a “rightwing extremist attack” and said one suspect was Australian-born, without giving further details. A Christchurch spokesperson told local media police were concerned the suspects had plans to target the victims of the mosque attack as they were transported to hospital.Ī “manifesto” was posted online before the attacks, in which the suspected gunman espoused far-right and anti-immigrant ideology. Hotels in the inner city stationed security guards at their entrances, and armed police protected landmarks of significance, including the courthouse and Christchurch hospital, which is believed to have been a further target. While the inquiry aims to understand the incident and suggest preventive measures for the future, it cannot impose penalties or offer compensation.Īfter the attacks, New Zealand initiated major gun reforms and saw the establishment of Christchurch Call, an initiative to tackle terrorist and extremist content online.New Zealand’s entire police arsenal and personnel were deployed throughout the country and en masse in Christchurch, the South Island’s largest city, which is known to have an active white-supremacist subculture. The families of the victims "are united in their pursuit of understanding, seeking clarity on whether their loved ones could have survived," he said. Maha Galal, spokesperson for the "15 March Whanau Trust" representing the victims' relatives, said in a statement the "paramount concern is to comprehend the truth." What the Christchurch victims' families have said The inquest will also look into if Tarrant might have received any external help to orchestrate the deadly shooting. Tarrant was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole in August 2020 after admitting to 51 charges of murder, 40 of attempted murder and one of terrorism. ![]() He also published a manifesto online before carrying out the attacks. More than 600 people are slotted to attend the hearing in-person over the course of the six weeks.Īustralian Brenton Tarrant, armed with high-capacity semi-automatic weapons, live-streamed the attacks on the Al Noor mosque and the Linwood Islamic Centre on social media on March 15, 2019. Nearly 5,000 images, 3,000 audio files, and 80 hours of video evidence will be examined by the inquest. Windley emphasized that the focus was not on establishing liability or negligence, but rather on holding individuals accountable. The six-week inquiry, overseen by Deputy Chief Coroner Brigitte Windley, will investigate the day's events, including emergency responses, and issues such as the malfunction of an emergency exit at a mosque.Īccording to the Radio New Zealand, Windley said the inquiry attempts to shed light "to the cause and circumstances of death," and "to look to the future, whether comments or recommendations may be made, to reduce the chances of further deaths in similar circumstances." What the inquest into the Christchurch terror attack aims to achieve A coronial inquiry into the 2019 terror attacks in which 51 people were killed in the New Zealand city of Christchurch began on Tuesday with a tribute video for those who lost their lives.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |