New Zealand‘s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said a far-right attack on two Mosques in the city of Christchurch marked one of the ‘”darkest days” in the nation’s history. Forty-nine people are believed to have been killed in shootings at two mosques, with a similar number injured, in what Ms Ardern called an: “extraordinary and unprecedented act of violence.” Far-right extremists attacked two mosques, the Masjid Al-Noor Mosque near Hagley Park and Linwood Masjid Mosque in Christchurch, at around 1.40pm local time.
Speaking some hours later during a press conference the Prime Minister said: “Whilst I cannot give any confirmation at this stage around fatalities and casualties, what I can say is that it is clear that this is one of New Zealand’s darkest days.
“Clearly, what has happened here is an extraordinary and unprecedented act of violence. Many of those who will have been directly affected by this shooting may be migrants to New Zealand, they may even be refugees here. 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. They have no place in New Zealand. There is no place in New Zealand for such acts of extreme and unprecedented violence, which it is clear this act was.”
Police have said that they have three men and one woman in custody in relation to the “well planned” attacks. One man has been charged with murder. Two improvised explosive devices were found on the suspect’s cars, police said.
The group published a 74-page manifesto online that talked about the “racial and cultural replacement of the European people”. None of the suspects had been on security watch lists, according to the PM. Ms Ardern said she condemned the ideology of the attackers saying, saying: “you may have chosen us, but we utterly reject and condemn you.”
Australian Prime minister Scott Morrison also released a statement following the event, with one of the alleged assailants suspected to have been Australian national Brenton Tarrant. He said: “I’m horrified by the reports I’m following of the serious shooting in Christchurch, New Zealand. The situation is still unfolding but our thoughts and prayers are with our Kiwi cousins.”