UPDATE: New Zealand police have confirmed that they have four suspects in custody, one appearing in court today (who will not be named here). Forty-nine people were killed in mass shootings at two separate mosques – Christchurch Mosque and Linwood Masjid. Several explosives attached to cars were found and disarmed by first responders.
Local media in Christchurch, New Zealand are reporting at least six deaths as a gunman has opened fire on two Christchurch mosques. Witnesses have reported bodies of casualties outside the mosque, as well as bursts of extended gunfire and a confirmed report of a car containing explosives being found by police in the city.
Current reports note that police have the situation under control, but Christchurch residents have been advised to secure their homes and stay indoors. Students participating in today’s #ClimateMarch have been withdrawn to safety by staff, and Prime Minister Jacinta Ardern has cancelled other plans to respond to the day’s events.
Ardern has called this “one of New Zealand’s darkest days”. Ever the calm voice of reason, she’s called for calm amid the ongoing incident, which now seems to have included multiple mosques as targets of violence.
The shooter, a white male, announced his intentions through website 8chan before streaming the mosque assault live on Facebook. For what should be obvious reasons, we will not be reposting any of this content here, and we encourage you not to search for it either. It’s horrific, upsetting, and watching it vindicates the shooter. It means this bastard gets his message out there.
More to come on this issue as news comes to light.
Blocks apart in Christchurch NZ, kids protesting for climate action and a gunman shooting up a mosque. The best and the worst of our world, side by side.
— Bill McKibben (@billmckibben) March 15, 2019
Live streamed coverage of the situation #Christchurch mosque shooting https://t.co/smFgunk6Ls
— Laurie (@CndnSheepdog) March 15, 2019
Anyone thinking of sharing the video from #Christchurch: don’t. These kinds of things only tend to encourage copycats and further violence. PLEASE report anyone sharing that disgusting footage.
— David M. (@GAResistance93) March 15, 2019
Image posted on Twitter by Samuel Hussey (@smhussey), 15 March 2019.
