At least 49 people have been killed when a lone gunman opened fire at two Mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand.
The deadly act, which is the country’s worst ever mass shooting, has been called an act of terrorism by Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern.
“It is clear that this can now only be described as a terrorist attack,” the Prime Minister said.
The gunman also broadcast live footage of one of the attack on Facebook after publishing a manifesto where he called the victims “invaders”
Shortly before the attack, anonymous post on the discussion site 8chan, known for its hateful rhetoric, said the writer was going to carry out attacks against what he called “invaders”
Police have also said that three men are in custody and one man in his 20s has been charged with murder, and is expected to appear in court on Saturday. All four men held extremists views.
The visiting Bangladesh cricket team was arriving for prayers at one of the mosques when the shootout started, but all the players left unarmed.
In a video circulating on social media, worshippers, many of them dead, lay huddled on the floor in the mosque. A survivor, Ahmad Al-Mahmoud said that the man, who was white, blond and wearing a bullet proof vest, entered the Mosque and started shooting at worshippers who were kneeling for prayers.
“He had a big gun … he came and started shooting everyone in the mosque, everywhere,” said the man.
Police have now said that forty-one people were killed at one of the Mosque, Al Noor while seven were killed at another Mosque, and another died at the hospital.