As shots began ringing out at the Linwood mosque in Christchurch, there was an extraordinary act of heroism.

Abdul Aziz and his four children were inside the mosque or masjid at the time when he made the snap decision to run outside to confront the suspected shooter as people escaped.

He then picked up one of the shooter's own guns and chased him away.

"He got another gun on his hand and turned it on me and started shooting it at me, and I just ducked between the cars and run. I wanted him to chase me in the car park as it would save more people in the masjid, but he didn't see me probably," Aziz told Newshub.

"I went in the back and when I was running in the back I saw another dead body there and a gun was lying there, and I just grabbed the gun... I saw more shots coming through the mosque, and I started screaming say 'I'm outside, come outside'.

Aziz said the shooter is a coward, and although tragedy occurs around the world, you can't expect it.

"To come and kill innocent people, he is a coward, he isn't a man.

"Good and bad is everywhere, all around the world is the same. New Zealand is one of the best countries, and one of the beautiful countries, and not racism or anything, that is why I come here to live here.

"Something like this you can't expect, it can be anywhere."

Watch the video for the full Newshub story above.

Newshub.