WARNING – DISTRESSING DETAIL: On March 15, New Zealand changed. Some are calling it a loss of innocence, a reminder that distance doesn’t bring protection against violence. Fifty people were killed and dozens more injured in a mass shooting at two mosques in Christchurch. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has vowed to change gun laws and investigate what went wrong. This is how 36 minutes of terror unfolded. Brenton Tarrant fronts a Christchurch court the morning after the attacks. Source: AFP 1:32 pm – Ardern and about 30 other people get a chilling email from accused gunman Brenton Tarrant. He has attached a manifesto filled with racism and hatred as he tries to justify why he is about to carry out a massacre. A member of Ardern’s staff sees the email and, two minutes after it arrives, forwards it to parliamentary security. But the plan is already in motion. The gunman is sitting in his gold Subaru station wagon in a parking area in a black paramilitary outfit. He turns on a helmet camera and begins an internet livestream before setting off. ___ 1:41 pm – It’s Friday prayers, and the Al Noor mosque is filled with people. The imam, Gamal Fouda, has just finished the Khutbah, a sermon delivered in Arabic. He is starting the next part in which he translates it into English. The Khutbah is the most serious part of the prayer, where rapt attention is required and the worshippers are silent. The sermon is about cooperating with each other, doing good and stopping evil. As the gunman approaches the mosque, a man in the entrance calls out cheerfully, “Hello, brother.” Shots are fired, one after another, and the first bodies fall to the ground. Mr Fouda hears shooting in the hallway and sees people start to run. He stops speaking. “It was chaos,” he says. Members of Muslim religious groups leave after a special blessing ceremony near the site of Friday’s shooting outside the Linwood mosque. Source: AP An Algerian man smashes a window on one side of the room, Mr Fouda says, and people start pouring out through the jagged glass. On the other side, the people there try to do the same. But the bodies begin piling up at the makeshift exits. “And he was actually standing behind them, and he was shooting and shooting and shooting and shooting,” Mr Fouda says. “Tragedy. Tragedy.” Story continues Asif Shaikh, 44, tries to run but falls in the crush of bodies. He thinks about trying to make it to the exit when he sees somebody else make the same move and get shot. So he lies there, next to an old man who has been shot in the thigh. They are exposed and uncovered, but somehow they survive. Days later he still can’t sleep, the sounds of gunshots ringing in his head. A man prays in front of the floral tributes left for the victims of the mosque attacks. Source: AAP Kawthar Abulaban, 54, is in the women’s prayer area with a couple of dozen other women. She hears a single shot at first, enough for some of them to jump up and ask, “What’s wrong?” Then a pause and a second shot and a dawning realization. Soon, they hear a barrage of bullets. The gunman then walks outside, where he shoots people on the sidewalk. He gets another gun and returns to the mosque. Since firing the first shot, the gunman has spent six minutes at the mosque. There are no sounds of sirens, no SWAT teams arriving. People visit a memorial site for victims of Friday’s shooting, in front of Christchurch Botanic Gardens. Source: Reuters ___ 1:48 pm – The shooter’s rampage continues as he drives away from the Al Noor mosque. Yasir Amin and his father, Muhammad Amin Nasir, are walking along the sidewalk when a car stops and a man begins firing. They run, but at 67, Nasir can’t keep up with his son. As Amin turns to yell at his father to get down, he sees the older man has already been hit and is falling. Mourners hug after paying their respects to the victims near the Masjid Al Noor mosque in Christchurch. Source: AP The gunman drives away. Nasir stares up at his son, unable to speak, blood pooling around his body. Amin grabs a phone from a nearby car and calls police. Father and son are taken to the hospital, where a critically wounded Nasir begins his recovery. Neighbour Len Peneha helps several people who have escaped the mosque take shelter in his house until police arrive. He walks into the mosque and sees bodies everywhere. The gunman speeds toward the Linwood mosque. There are no sirens. He stops as two people cross the road in front of his car, unaware that anything out of the ordinary is going on. He blasts his horn at them and continues. ___ 1:50 pm – The shooter is speeding toward the Linwood mosque, weaving through traffic, blasting his music. It’s about nine minutes since he fired his first shot. Finally, a single siren can be heard in the distance. The Linwood mosque, on Linwood Avenue. Source: AAP ___ 1:55 pm – The Linwood mosque is about five kilometres from the Al Noor mosque but isn’t as grand. It’s a plain building in a poor neighborhood. Inside, 33-year-old Elliot Dawson is praying with about 80 others when he hears the first shots. No one reacts at first because they’re immersed in prayer. Latef Alabi, who is leading the prayers, peeks out the window. When he sees the gunman in his black gear and helmet, carrying a big gun, he thinks it’s a police officer and isn’t worried. Then he sees bodies and hears the man yelling obscenities. “I realised this is something else. This is a killer,” he says. The gunshots continue. Dawson’s friend goes outside and comes running back in: “Everyone, get down! Get down! Get down!” Dawson hurries to a bathroom, huddles in a stall and climbs onto the toilet so his feet won’t be visible. He tries to squeeze through a window but can’t fit.<doc-sep>New Zealand is reeling in the wake of the most deadly mass shooting in its history. Here is a timeline of the vicious attack targeting Muslims in the southern city of Christchurch. The attack left 50 dead and injured a further 50. Friday's deadly right-wing terror attack targeted mosques in the center of the southern New Zealand city of Christchurch All times local (Christchurch, New Zealand, is 13 hours ahead of UTC). Entries reflect events at given time on day of the attack, Friday, March 15, 2019. Prior to attack Shooter publishes white supremacist manifesto detailing attack motivations online. 13:31 (approximate) Shooter emails manifesto to media outlets and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's office, who forwards it to parliamentary security within minutes. 13:40 Shooter enters Al Noor Mosque, livestreaming the attack on Facebook as he opens fire with an automatic weapon, killing 42 people. The shooter remains in the mosque for two minutes. He leaves, shoots at people on the street, retrieves another rifle from his car and re-enters the mosque. After leaving the mosque again, the gunman shoots a woman outside. 13:57 Facebook removes livestream video after police alert the company. It continues circulating on other platforms, with new versions being uploaded as fast as others are removed. 14:10 Police arrive at the Al Noor Mosque responding to reports of gunfire. At the same time, a shooter enters Linwood Islamic Center 6 kilometers (4 miles) away, opening fire and killing seven. One more individual later dies in hospital. Witnesses say that a worshipper managed to disarm the assailant, forcing him to flee. 16:00 New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush announces that one person has been detained, but that others may still be at large. 16:12 Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern calls the attack "one of New Zealand's darkest days." 16:28 New Zealand police request that people stay away from mosques. 17:30 Police announce four people have been taken into custody in connection with the attack. Commissioner Bush also confirms that two improvised explosive devices were discovered in one vehicle near Al Noor Mosque. 19:30 Ardern calls the shooting a terrorist attack. 21:52 One suspect is released. Police say one person "was arrested earlier today, however, that was not related to these events." Three others remain in custody. 22:14 Police announce that a 28-year-old white male has been charged with murder and will be arraigned on Saturday. 00:00 Police confirm an operation in Dunedin, 320 kilometers away, describing it as a "location of interest." Christchurch grieves right-wing terror attack 'There was blood everywhere' A witness said "there was blood everywhere," after a right-wing terror attack on two New Zealand mosques killed 50 on Friday. Another witness saw a man in black enter the Al Noor mosque during prayers in Christchurch and heard dozens of shots before fleeing, adding that he saw several dead on the scene. As of Friday afternoon 48 people, including children, were being treated for gunshot wounds. Christchurch grieves right-wing terror attack Twin attacks target two mosques Police asked all mosques across New Zealand to close while they hunted those responsible for the twin attacks. Al Noor mosque (above) is approximately 7 kilometers across the city from Linwood Mosque, the site of the second shooting. Christchurch grieves right-wing terror attack City on lockdown Police initially arrested four people, two of them armed, and later charged one with murder. An Australian man, Brenton Tarrant, is alleged to have filmed himself carrying out the shooting and streamed it on social media. A manifesto was also published online, praising white men who had carried out similar massacres. It also called US President Donald Trump a "symbol of renewed white identity." Christchurch grieves right-wing terror attack 'Atmosphere of fear' The attacker's stated aim was to "create an atmosphere of fear" and "incite violence" against Muslims. Police said they recovered several guns from the mosques and two explosive devices in two vehicles at the scene. While the suspects were unknown to police, they said the attack appeared to have been well planned. Police were not searching for other suspects, but were on alert Christchurch grieves right-wing terror attack Narrow escape as shock spreads The world reacted in shock. Anger spread in some countries and security was heightened at prayers at this mosque in Bangladesh as news was released that the Bangladeshi cricket team had narrowly escaped the shooting. The players had arrived at one of the mosques as the attack was unfolding when they heard gunshots. Christchurch grieves right-wing terror attack 'One of New Zealand's darkest days' New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern described the attack as terrorism, calling it "one of New Zealand’s darkest days." "Many directly affected by this shooting may be migrants to New Zealand, they may even be refugees here...They are us. The person who has perpetuated this violence against us is not," she said. Christchurch grieves right-wing terror attack World in mourning Friday sermons across the world were dominated by grief and prayers for the lives lost in the attack. Prayers at the Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem (here) mourned the victims. Demonstrations in other major cities such as Sydney, Istanbul and London condemned global terror. Christchurch grieves right-wing terror attack Dismay at 'senseless violence' Leaders across the world expressed solidarity with the victims and their families, including Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn outside New Zealand House in London. Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed solidarity against "racist hatred," and Foreign Minister Heiko Maas called it an "attack on all of us." Queen Elizabeth was "deeply saddened," while other leaders expressed their outrage at hate speech. Author: Tom Allinson Every evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.<doc-sep>The Christchurch terror attack, an appalling act of violent terrorism that claimed 50 lives and left dozens more injured, occurred a week ago today. The deeply horrifying event on Friday, March 15 - a day that has since been dubbed New Zealand's "darkest of days" - has shaken the country to its core. Here's how it all happened. Friday, March 15<doc-sep>Send this page to someone via email Share this item on Twitter Share this item via WhatsApp Share this item on Facebook Police in New Zealand are continuing to investigate the deadly shootings that killed 49 people at two separate mosques in Christchurch on Friday. Another 48 people were injured and are being treated in hospital. WATCH: Latest news videos of the Christchurch mosque shooting Story continues below advertisement Here’s a timeline of what happened. All times are local New Zealand time (UTC +13). 1:30 p.m. The racist, anti-immigration and anti-Muslim manifesto is posted online on 8chan, a forum-based website. The manifesto described the author’s views on “white genocide,” a term white supremacists use to describe immigration and the growth of minority populations. It also mentions the two mosques by names as targets. Around 1:40 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. After parking his car in an alley near Al Noor Mosque, a man walks in the front door of the mosque. He opens fire on the people inside the building. Witnesses say the shooter fired indiscriminately. The shooter returns to his car and retrieves another gun before firing more shots both outside and inside the mosque. He then drove away. Less than seven kilometres away, a shooter also opened fire at the Linwood Islamic Centre, killing seven people. The gunman is reportedly disarmed and runs away. Story continues below advertisement 2:35 p.m. Police confirm on Twitter they are investigating reports of shots fired and ask anyone in Central Christchurch to stay inside. 2:54 p.m. Schools have gone into lockdown. New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush says in a news conference there is an active shooter at large, and urges people to stay off the streets. WATCH: Press conference of Police Commissioner Mike Bush Story continues below advertisement Around 3:30 p.m. Police said two explosive devices were found inside a crashed SUV on Strictland Street, about three kilometres from the Al Noor Mosque. 4 p.m. Officials confirm one person is in custody. Video of a crashed SUV on Brougham Street, near Strictland Street, shows police removing a man from the vehicle. WATCH: Onlooker captures moment of arrest of Christchurch mosque shootings suspect 0:30 Christchurch Shooting: Onlooker captures moment of arrest of Christchurch mosque shootings suspect Christchurch Shooting: Onlooker captures moment of arrest of Christchurch mosque shootings suspect – Mar 15, 2019 6:16 p.m. Police said there have been four people arrested in connection to the incident, but one person is later released. Only one person so far has been charged with murder. Around 8 p.m. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern labels the massacre a terrorist attack. Story continues below advertisement “It is clear that this can now only be described as a terrorist attack. From what we know, it does appear to have been well planned,” she said. “These are people who I would describe as having extremist views that have absolutely no place in New Zealand and, in fact, have no place in the world.” 10:48 p.m. Police cordon off an area in Dunedin while searching a residence on Somerville Street. Dunedin is about 360 kilometres from Christchurch. Upcoming on Saturday The 28-year-old man charged with murder is expected to appear in court.<doc-sep>
Friday: The shooting begins 12:15am - Tarrant exports his manifesto to a PDF document. 1:30pm - He sends Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern a copy of his manifesto just minutes before the attack on Friday began, CNN reports. The email was sent to a "generic" account handled by staff and Ardern never saw it, chief press secretary Andrew Campbell later said. The email was reportedly worded as though the massacre had already happened, and it was sent so soon before the attack, there would have been no chance to stop it. 1:40pm - There were reports of shots fired near a mosque in central Christchurch at 1:40pm. A man told Magic Talk he saw people running out of the mosque, and that he had seen a man in military gear with a high powered gun. "I heard what I thought was a real loud backfire of a car," the man told Magic Talk. "And the next minute I turned to my right and just saw people running out of the mosque, and obviously just a couple of more shots and a lady fell over and then a guy in full military gear with what looked like a really high powered gun pointing down the road firing." Armed police were deployed, and people in central Christchurch were urged to stay indoors and report any suspicious activity. 2:42pm - All schools in Christchurch have been placed into lockdown. Reports of six people dead. 2:47pm - Shootings are now thought to have happened at two separate mosques. Christchurch goes into lockdown 2:52pm - Christchurch Hospital and Outpatients placed in lock-down. The public are told should not attend Christchurch Hospital unless it's an emergency. 3:12pm - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern cancels all her afternoon engagements. 3:21pm - Christchurch City Council locks down its central city buildings. Shooter arrested 3:33pm - The shooter's car crashes on Strickland St, three kilometres from where the shootings took place. Police cordon off the car due to fears there's a bomb inside. It's believed the shooter might have been traveling to another target. 4:04pm - Police say one person is in custody, however there may be other offenders. "We understand that there will be many anxious people but I can assure New Zealanders that Police is doing all it can to resolve this incident," police said in a statement. "We urge New Zealanders to stay vigilant and report any suspicious behaviour immediately to 111. "We are mobilising resources nationally and support is being brought into the District." 4:29pm - The Prime Minister's spokesperson says the emergency response system has been activated and all major agencies will meet with the Prime Minister in Parliament's bunker. 5pm - Police say schools are still in lockdown and children are being taken care of by school staff. "There is no timeframe at this stage for when the lock down will be lifted. Schools will communicate directly with parents when the lockdown is lifted." 5:31pm - Police-Commissioner Mike Bush tells media four people are in custody, including one woman. 5:34pm - Police say the public should not assume the incident is contained to Christchurch and people in other centres should be on alert. 5:56pm - Police say schools across Christchurch are no longer in lockdown. "We would like to reassure members of the public that there is a large police presence in the city and the safety of the community is our priority." Worst gun attack in New Zealand's history 7:26pm - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirms at least 40 people have been killed. Ten died at Linwood Ave mosque and 30 were killed at Deans Ave mosque. "It is clear that this can now only be described as a terrorist attack," Ardern said. "From what we know, it does appear to have been well planned." Ardern said two explosives attached to suspects' cars have been disarmed. "One has publicly stated that they were Australian-born. These are people who I would describe as having extremist views that absolutely no place in New Zealand and no place in the world." Ardern said she could not rule out that there could be more suspects. New Zealand's national security threat level has been lifted from low to high. 7:34pm - Forty-eight patients, including children, are being treated in Christchurch Hospital for gunshot wounds. Canterbury District Health Board said in a statement the injuries range from minor to critical. Twelve operating theatres are currently in use with some patients needing multiple surgeries.