Accused New Zealand mosque shooter makes first court appearance
Posted March 16, 2019 10:53 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
CHRISTCHURCH – The man accused of launching a pair of deadly assaults on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand made his first court appearance Saturday.
Two armed guards brought Brenton Tarrant into court. He showed no expression as District Court Judge Paul Kellar read one charge of murder to him. The court appearance lasted only about a minute and he was led back out in handcuffs after being ordered to return to court again April 5.
After Tarrant left, the judge said that while “there is one charge of murder brought at the moment, it is reasonable to assume that there will be others.”
50 people died after a gunman opened fire at two mosques in New Zealand during midday prayers on Friday. Dozens more were taken to hospital, with about 48 discharged since the shootings.
The killing spree was apparently live streamed on Facebook for 17 minutes by the gunman who also posted a 74-page manifesto on social media. In it, he identified himself as Tarrant and said he was a 28-year-old Australian and white supremacist who was out to avenge attacks in Europe perpetrated by Muslims.
Australian police say the family of Tarrant is helping their investigation. Tarrant’s family is from the northern New South Wales town of Grafton and New South Wales state Police Commissioner Mick Fuller says his officers are investigating to help New Zealand police.
Fuller says Tarrant has spent little time in Australia in the past four years and Acting Deputy Police Commissioner Mick Willing says Tarrant was only known to police for “minor traffic matters.’
Meanwhile, people across New Zealand are reaching out to Muslims in their communities and around the country the day after mass shootings.
Some offered rides to the grocery store or volunteered to walk with their Muslim neighbours if they felt unsafe. In other online forums, people discussed Muslim food restrictions as they prepared to drop off meals for those affected.
City officials have brought in extra police to help reassure the Muslim community and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told reporters that the country’s gun laws will change.
