Brenton Tarrant, a white nationalist Australian terrorist who livestreamed his massacre of dozens of people at a Christchurch mosque, scrawled the names of other mass shooters on the weapon and left behind a disturbing manifesto in which he ranted about “white genocide” and “invaders.” The carnage – which unfolded at two New Zealand mosques – has horrified the world and caused New Zealand to temporarily ask all mosques to close their doors. The country’s prime minister called it one of New Zealand’s “darkest days.” One of the massacres was captured in the disturbing Facebook livestream, which shows the gunman murdering helpless people as they huddled in corners and lay wounded on sidewalks and hallways. At least 50 people were killed in the terror attacks, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said at a press conference. Another 20 people were critically injured. One of the first victims to be identified is Daoud Nabi; his son told NBC News that his dad heroically died while trying to shield another person. You can read a tribute to him here. Another victim – the first to see the gunman – greeted Tarrant with the phrase, “hello brother.” That moment of grace – a welcome in the face of a gun – has become a rallying point for greater unity and harmony among all. And yet another hero: Naeem Rashid, who “tried overpowering the shooter” but lost his life in the process. His son, Talha, also died. Three people have been detained, including Tarrant, but very little information has been released about the other people or what role they might have played. Tarrant was charged with murder and flashed a white power hand sign during his first court appearance. Most of the victims were murdered at the Masjid Al Noor mosque, but at least seven more perished at a second mosque called Linwood Masjid, which was about 3.5 miles away. There, several people tried to stop the gunman. You can see a roundup of tributes to all of the victims here as their names are released. In the video streamed on Brenton Tarrant’s now-deleted Facebook page, you see the gunman – described by the Australian prime minister as an Australian citizen and “extremist, right-wing terrorist” – in his car with multiple rifles at his side. He appears to be wearing military gear. You can hear the GPS giving him directions to the mosque in the chilling video. He is wearing gloves with the fingers cut out and plays music – at one point a song called “Remove Kebab” about ethnic cleansing – during the ride. He also plays the 18th century marching song “British Grenadiers.” He then walks into the mosque and coldly and randomly begins to gun people down. He goes to his car and gets another weapon at one point and goes back into the mosque. He walks over to a pile of people in a corner of the room and shoots yet again at close range as they huddle together. It’s horrific beyond words. “There wasn’t even time to aim. There were so many targets,” he says casually in the video at one point. “Help me,” pleads a woman the gunman shoots on the sidewalk outside when he finally leaves the Masjid Al Noor mosque after an agonizing six minutes or so of shooting without interruption or any sign of law enforcement. He walks up to the fallen woman, ignores her pleas, and shoots her in head. He gets back in his car and drives off, casually holding the rifle as he drives. The chilling video also shows him gunning down a man crawling to get away as music pumps through the video. Witnesses told horrific stories; one man escaped the mosque to find his wife dead on the walkway. A 4-year-old boy is among the wounded. The shooter fired at least 205 times from four rifles and used multiple magazines, stopping to reload. A person who appeared to be the same gunman also posted a link to the live video in a chat thread called 8chan, which is described by The New York Times as “an online forum known for extremist right-wing discussion.” The user wrote, “Well lads, it’s time to stop sh*tposting and time to make a real life effort post. I will carry out and attack against the invaders, and will even live stream the attack via facebook.” Various contributors to the extremely disturbing chat thread then cheered the writer on, with some posting Nazi symbols. “Best of luck Brenton Tarrant,” wrote one. “Brenton Tarrant is a f*cking hero” wrote another, as they watched it unfold live, sharing screenshots. “Police are aware there is extremely distressing footage relating to the incident in Christchurch circulating online. We would strongly urge that the link not be shared. We are working to have any footage removed,” New Zealand police wrote on Twitter. They later confirmed Brenton Tarrant’s name, and it was visible on the Facebook page that streamed the video before it was deleted. It’s also the name of his Twitter page. The first mass shooting broke out at the Al Noor Mosque mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand during afternoon prayers on March 15, 2019, with eyewitnesses describing a heavily armed, military-jacket clad gunman who opened fire, leaving blood everywhere. That mosque is located near Christchurch’s Hagley Park. Brenton Tarrant’s name circulated quickly on social media after a copy of the extremely disturbing video circulated on YouTube and other online sites. Heavy has viewed the extremely troubling video but has opted not to run it or any screenshots showing bodies, although you can see other screenshots throughout this article. “It’s very disturbing, it shouldn’t be in the public domain,” Police Commissioner Mike Bush said of the video. He also said, “Let’s not assume the danger is gone.” Brenton Tarrant also filled his now-suspended Twitter page with anti-Muslim and immigration sentiments and weaponry. The gunman’s lengthy manifesto laments declining birthrates among Europeans and “mass immigration” and declares it “white genocide.” In the manifesto, he stated that he had planned the attack for two years and chose Christchurch three months before. In it, he says he received the blessing from a group called the “reborn Knights Templar” (after the Christian soldiers during the Crusades) and indicates he was inspired by Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik, who also wrote a manifesto that talked about a reborn Knights Templar, although prosecutors thought Breivik made it up to inspire others. You can read more about Breivik and the so-called reborn Knights Templar here. “It is a terrorist attack,” he wrote. “…There was a racial component to the attack.” He wrote that he chose firearms for the attack because he believed it would mobilize the “left wing” in the United States to “abolish the second amendment,” which would in turn upset the “right wing” and fracture the U.S. “along cultural and racial lines.” The ramblings mention Donald Trump (whom he has mixed feelings on), Michael Jackson, pundit Candace Owens, and others. He was inspired by Charleston shooter Dylann Roof and far-right Norwegian killer Anders Breivik. Tarrant wrote that he was seeking revenge for Ebba Akerland, an 11-year-old Swedish girl killed in a terrorist attack in 2017. “We must crush immigration and deport those invaders already living on our soil,” he wrote. “It is not just a matter of our prosperity, but the very survival of our people.” Tarrant labeled himself an “eco-fascist,” and added, “No group ordered my attack. I made the decision myself. Though I did contact the reborn Knights Templar for a blessing in support of the attack, which was given.” At the beginning of the video, he says, “subscribe to PewDiePie.” (YouTuber PewDiePie has responded, “Just heard news of the devastating reports from New Zealand Christchurch. I feel absolutely sickened having my name uttered by this person. My heart and thoughts go out to the victims, families and everyone affected by this tragedy.”) The end of the manifesto proclaims, “Europa arises.” Here’s what you need to know 1. Brenton Tarrant, a Former Fitness Trainer, Describes Himself as “Just a Ordinary White Man” Who “Decided to Take a Stand”<doc-sep>A Facebook Live video was posted Friday apparently showing the New Zealand mosque gunman videotaping his attack while it was ongoing. The video was apparently taken by the account “Brenton Tarrant 9,” according to the visible URL. A screengrab shows the credit “Brenton Tarrant was live.” The disturbing 17-minute video follows the attacker from his car before the attack to fleeing in his car after. The Washington Times viewed 75 seconds of it that was posted to WordPress before it was taken down. That segment shows the camera point-of-view entering an area that matches photos of Masjid Al Noor mosque. The tape then shows the barrel of a weapon as the camera follows it, as if in a first-person shooter game like the Counter-Strike and Call of Duty games. The weapon fires repeatedly, and on-camera deaths and woundings are shown. The tape, viewed by The Times, matches earlier reports that the gunman taped his attack. According to reporters, Mr. Tarrant claimed responsibility in a 74-page manifesto titled “The Great Replacement,” portions of which were screen-grabbed on Twitter and all of it posted on Scribd, which has since taken it down. In the manifesto, Mr. Tarrant offers qualified support for U.S. President Donald Trump as “a symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose,” but “as a policymaker and leader, dear god no.” The manifesto criticizes declining white birthrates — “It’s the birthrates. It’s the birthrates. It’s the birthrates.” it begins. “If there is one thing I want you to remember from these writings, its that the birthrates must change. Even if we were to deport all Non-Europeans from our lands tomorrow, the European people would still be spiraling into decay and eventual death.” Mr. Tarrant decries “mass immigration” as “white genocide” and says why he commits the attack. “To most of all show the invaders that our lands will never be their lands, our homelands are our own, and that, as long as a white man still lives, they will NEVER conquer our lands and they will never replace our people.” He then goes on to catalog a list of atrocities committed against white Europeans that he is avenging. Mr. Tarrant also has a U.S. goal in mind in committing the attack — fomenting a second American Civil War. “Finally, to create conflict between the two ideologies within the United States on the ownership of firearms in order to further the social, cultural, political and racial divide within the United States. This conflict over the 2nd amendment and the attempted removal of firearms rights will ultimately result in a civil war that will eventually balkanize the US [that] will not only result in the the racial separation of people within the United States ensuring the future of the White race on the North American continent but also ensuring the death of the ‘melting pot’ pipe dream,” he writes. Sign up for Daily Newsletters Manage Newsletters Copyright © 2021 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.<doc-sep>The death toll from the mosque shootings rose to 50 after investigators found another body at one of the mosques, said New Zealand's Police Commissioner said on Sunday. "It is with sadness that I advise that number of people who died in this event has now risen to 50. As of last night, we were able to take all of the victims from both of those scenes. In doing so we were able to locate a further victim," Police Commissioner Mike Bush told a news conference. Greg Roberston, the chief surgeon for the Canterbury district health ward said 34 people were still being treated at the hospital with 12 in intensive care. A suspected white supremacist was charged with murder for the Christchurch shootings on Friday, in what Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern called a "terrorist attack". A 28-year-old Australian suspect, identified as Brenton Harrison Tarrant, appeared in Christchurch district court on Saturday at 11:00 am local time. Tarrant was charged with murder and was remanded without plea. He will return to court on April 5. At a Sunday press conference, Ardern said the suspect will face justice in New Zealand. Police said that the woman who had been detained the day of the attack had been released and that the other male suspect had been charged with unrelated firearms charges but that he wasn't involved in the attack. Authorities started to return the bodies of the dead on Sunday, said Ardern, as funeral preparations got underway. According to Islamic tradition, the dead must be buried 24 hours after passing away. The Prime Minister added that security at mosques' entrances would be heightened for the next few days or until the police investigation was ongoing. Victims' families will be eligible to receive funeral grants of 10,000 New Zealand dollars (€6,000) as well as other welfare benefits in the form of child care, help in case of loss of income and food stamps. Ardern to discuss live streaming with Facebook The suspect is believed to have live streamed the first attack on Facebook. Minutes before starting the live stream, a “manifesto” was also posted online, denouncing immigrants and calling them “invaders”. On Sunday, Ardern discussed for the first time the suspect's apparent manifesto, which her office received nine minutes before the attack took place. Within two minutes of receipt, the document was flagged to parliamentary security, she said, adding that the manifesto was sent to 30 other email addresses including hers. The live stream, which lasted over 16 minutes, was posted on a page belonging to Brenton Tarrant but was quickly deleted by Facebook. READ MORE: New Zealand shootings: Critics call out social media giants for not blocking extremist content It appeared to have been filmed with a head camera and shows a man in combat gear driving to the Al Noor Mosque in central Christchurch. After parking his vehicle, he picks up one of the rifles in his trunk and walks to the mosque and starts shooting as he approaches the door. Ardern said on Sunday that Facebook's chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, had sent her condolences over the shootings. When asked if Facebook should stop live-streaming, Ardern said she would discuss "the issue directly with Facebook." Facebook said on Twitter it had removed 1.5 million videos of the attack in the first 24 hours and it was also removing all edited versions, even those without graphic content. New Zealand's gun laws set to change Tarrant was arrested in a car, which police said had improvised explosive devices. "The offender was mobile, there were two other firearms in the vehicle that the offender was in, and it absolutely was his intention to continue with his attack," Ardern told reporters in Christchurch on Saturday. Ardern added that Tarrant was a licensed gun owner who allegedly used five weapons, including two semi-automatic weapons and two shotguns that were modified. The Prime Minister pledged that the country's gun laws would change, adding that a ban on semi-automatic weapons would be considered. Ardern said that Parliament would convene on Monday to discuss a change in gun policies. "We cannot be deterred, gun laws have to be changed regardless on activity from gun retailers," she said speaking to reporters. There are an estimated 1.5 million firearms in New Zealand for a population of nearly five million. However, the country has maintained a low level of gun violence with Friday's attack being the biggest mass shooting in the country's recent history. READ MORE: Christchurch shootings: World leaders react to deadly New Zealand mosque attacks<doc-sep>
An extremely disturbing, graphic live video streamed on the Brenton Tarrant Facebook page shows a casual and determined gunman strolling up to a Christchurch mosque and randomly and chillingly shooting dozens of people, including one man crawling away on the ground and others who were already wounded or dead and huddled in a corner. At one point, the white nationalist terrorist goes up to a woman crying out for help on the sidewalk outside the New Zealand mosque and shoots her in the head. The New Zealand prime minister says at least 50 people were killed, including some children. Another 20 people are wounded. The gunman – now identified as 28-year-old former Australian fitness trainer Brenton Tarrant by authorities – flashed a white power sign during his first court appearance. The video is bizarre and disturbing to the extreme as it shows the gunman – who had a GoPro like device fastened to his helmet – from the first-person shooter perspective, almost like a body cam. You can see screenshots from the Facebook Live video throughout this article, although Heavy is not running any pictures that show bodies and has chosen not to embed the full video because of its graphic nature. “There wasn’t even time to aim. There were so many targets,” Tarrant says casually in the full video at one point. The mass shooting, which unfolded in March 2019, has horrified the world. In addition, a person who appeared to be the same gunman also posted a link to the live video and manifesto in a chat thread called 8chan, which is described by The New York Times as “an online forum known for extremist right-wing discussion.” The user wrote, “Well lads, it’s time to stop sh*tposting and time to make a real life effort post. I will carry out and attack against the invaders, and will even live stream the attack via facebook.” Various contributors to the extremely disturbing chat thread then cheered the writer on, with some posting Nazi symbols. “Best of luck Brenton Tarrant,” wrote one. “Brenton Tarrant is a f*cking hero” wrote another, as they watched it unfold live, sharing screenshots. In the manifesto, Tarrant says he received the blessing from a group called the “reborn Knights Templar” (after the Christian soldiers during the Crusades) and indicates he was inspired by Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik, who also wrote a manifesto that talked about a reborn Knights Templar, although prosecutors thought Breivik made it up to inspire others. You can read more about Breivik and the so-called reborn Knights Templar here. After moving from one mosque, Tarrant went to another 3.5 miles away and shot people there too, authorities say, but the video he streamed only shows the first mosque. New Zealand police say 3 men and 1 woman are in custody – including Tarrant – after the shootings at two mosques in Christchurch. They’ve been very cryptic about the other people and haven’t explained their alleged involvement, if any, but Tarrant is the only shooter seen in the video. The prime minister has called the shooter an extremist right-wing terrorist who is an Australian citizen. Authorities say the situation was still urgent hours after it broke out, and they asked all New Zealand mosques to temporarily close their doors to be safe. Brenton Tarrant also posted disturbing images of weaponry and anti-Muslim sentiments on Twitter and linked to a disturbing manifesto that ranted about “white genocide,” immigration, Muslims, and European birthrates. In the manifesto, Tarrant wrote that he supported Norwegian far-right terrorist Anders Breivik and racist Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof, among others, and added, “I have only had brief contact with Knight Justiciar Breivik, receiving a blessing for my mission after contacting his brother knights.” He said he had read Roof’s writings. Tarrant labeled himself an eco-fascist and added that “the person that has influenced me above all was Candace Owens.” The manifesto poses the question of whether he is a supporter of Donald Trump. He answered, “As a symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose? Sure. As a policy maker and leader? Dear god no.” The Facebook page in Tarrant’s name appears to have streamed the mosque mass shooting on Facebook Live for almost a full 17 minutes. Police did confirm in a tweet that they were aware of the footage. “Police are aware there is extremely distressing footage relating to the incident in Christchurch circulating online. We would strongly urge that the link not be shared.