The family of the Australian man charged with shooting dead 50 worshippers at two New Zealand mosques have apologised to his victims and said they have been left “shattered”.

“We’re all gobsmacked, we don’t know what to think,” said Marie Fitzgerald, the grandmother of alleged killer Brenton Tarrant. “It’s just so much of everything to take in that somebody in our family would do anything like this.”

Tarrant, 28, is accused of planning the massacre – which also left at least 50 injured in the city of Christchurch – for more than two years. When he appeared at court on Saturday, he made a white supremacy sign to reporters.

Speaking shortly afterwards in the Australian town of Grafton, New South Wales, where Tarrant grew up, Mrs Fitzgerald said she was “shattered – that’s the word”.

The 81-year-old claimed her grandson had changed following his father’s death from cancer in 2010 and a long trip to Europe which he took soon after.

New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Show all 11 1 /11 New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Zakaria Bhuiyan People gather hoping to find out information about Zakaria Bhuiyan who is still missing after the mosques shootings in Christchurch. David Moir/AFP New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Mucad Ibrahim Three-year-old Mucad Ibrahim, the youngest known victim of the mass shooting at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, on 15 March 2019. Abdi Ibrahim via AP New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Nadeem Rasheed Nadeem Rasheed, brother of Pakistani Naeem Rashid who died alongside his son Talha Naeem, 21, who were killed in shooting at a Mosque in Christchurch, at their home town in Abbottabad, EPA New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Omar Nabi Omar Nabi speaks to the media about losing his father Haji Daoud Nabi, 71, in the mosque attack REUTERS New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Ash Mohammed Ash Mohammed, right, talks to a police officer about his father and two brothers who are missing near the Masjid Al Noor mosque AP New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Akhtar Khokhur Akhtar Khokhur, 58, shows a picture of her missing husband Mehaboobbhai Khokhar, 65. AP New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Wasseim Alsati A note is seen on a window of a door at the family home of Wasseim Alsati in Christchurch on 17 March 2019. AFP/Getty Images New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Haroon Mahmood Relatives offer condolences to nephew (centre) of Haroon Mahmood, a Pakistani citizen who was killed in Christchurch mosque shootings. AP New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Farid Ahmed Farid Ahmed (pictured) survived the Al Noor mosque shootings but his wife Husne was killed. AFP/Getty Images New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Syed Areeb Ahmed A relative shows a picture of Syed Areeb Ahmed, a Pakistani citizen who was killed the Christchurch mosque shooting. AP New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Naeem Rashid A relative looks at a picture on a mobile phone of Pakistani nationals Naeem Rashid and his son Talha Naeem (right) who died in the Christchurch shootings. AFP/Getty Images

“It’s only since he travelled overseas, I think, that that boy has changed completely [from] the boy we knew,” she said, adding: “The media is saying he has planned it for a long time so he is obviously not of sound mind.”

Tarrant’s uncle Terry Fitzgerald revealed they had only learned of his nephew’s alleged involvement through news reports on TV.

“First up I said, ‘No it couldn’t be’, but then I saw his photo,” he told Australia’s Nine News. “We are so sorry for the families over there, for the dead and the injured. We just can’t think of nothing else. We just want to go home and hide.”

The alleged killer’s sister and mother have been put under police protection after the terror attacks with other family members told not to contact them, he added.

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