At least 49 people were shot dead Friday in a mass shooting that targeted two mosques in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. A further 48 people were injured. Young children are among the victims.
A 28-year-old man has been charged with murder, and two other suspects are in police custody.
“This can only be described as a terrorist attack,” New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said of what she called “one of New Zealand’s darkest days.”
Donald Trump, Theresa May, the pope and other world leaders have condemned the attack and expressed sympathy for New Zealand.
Read more: What we know about the victims of the mosque mass shootings in New Zealand that killed 49 people
New Zealand’s police commissioner, Mike Bush, said security across the country had been heightened, with extra patrols around mosques. He said officers were not aware of any other specific threats.
“We have staff around the country ensuring that everyone is kept safe, and that includes our armed defenders and special tactics groups right across the country being very vigilant and having a presence around all of our mosques,” he said.
Bush was asked to confirm whether the man charged with murder was Brenton Tarrant, a name widely reported in connection with the attack. Bush declined to confirm the name. He said the man would appear in court Saturday.
“While we do not have anything to believe at this stage that there were any other suspects, we are not assuming that at this stage,” Ardern said, adding: “These are people that I would say have extremist views. They have no place in New Zealand or in the world.”
Ardern said she thought New Zealand was targeted because of its diversity and acceptance of people from all cultures.
“We New Zealanders were not chosen for this act of violence because we condone this racism, or because we are an enclave of extremism — we were chosen for the very fact that we are none of these things,” she said.
The two mosques targeted were the Al Noor Mosque and the Linwood Mosque.
Bush confirmed that 41 people were killed at the Al Noor Mosque and seven were killed at the Linwood Mosque. One more person died in a hospital.
Read more: What we know so far about the suspects in the New Zealand mosque shootings
Police are investigating a house 200 miles from the site of the shootings in connection with the attack.
“We urge New Zealanders to stay vigilant and report any suspicious behavior immediately to 111,” Bush said.
Witnesses reported that a man with a gun entered one of the city’s mosques at about 1:40 p.m. local time.
The police confirmed that footage of the shooting was circulating on social media and urged people not to share it. They also confirmed that a suspect had posted an apparent manifesto online Friday afternoon.
During a press conference, Ardern called Friday “one of New Zealand’s darkest days.”
“Clearly what has happened here is an extraordinary and unprecedented act of violence,” Ardern said.
“Many of those impacted by the shootings may be migrants, and they have chosen to make New Zealand their home,” she said. “They are us. The person who has perpetuated this violence against us — is not.”
‘It is clear that this is one of New Zealand’s darkest days’
“There is no place in New Zealand for such extreme acts of unprecedented violence,” Ardern said.
A witness told Radio New Zealand that a man in a helmet and glasses and a military-style jacket entered one of the mosques, where as many as 300 people were gathered for afternoon prayers, and opened fire.
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