People Dead and Injured After Terror Attack

Yesterday saw New Zealand affected by its first-ever terrorist attack. 49 people were killed and 48 injured at the Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch. Details have now emerged about the attacker. He is a 28-year-old Australian male named Brenton Tarrant, according to his social media.



The attacker live streamed the attack.

Authorities arrested four people in connection to two attacks. The first attack happened at the Al Noor Mosque. The second was at Linwood Islamic Community Centre. The parishioners of the second mosque fought him off with their own weapons. Their actions prevented further bloodshed. However, bomb techs found Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in the attackers’ cars and near the Al Noor Mosque. The IED’s have been defused.

What We Know About the Attacker



The attacker released a manifesto online prior to the attack. In the manifesto, he claims to take inspiration from Anders Breivik. Similarly, Breivik committed two consecutive terror attacks in 2011. In the first, he detonated a fertilizer bomb outside the Prime Minister’s Office in Oslo, killing eight. He then went on to commit a mass shooting at a Workers Youth League camp.



In the manifesto, Tarrant name-drops right-wing online personalities. However, authorities are not sure if he followed these personalities. His manifesto includes aspects from both sides of the political spectrum. Many current analysts are saying his aim is to exacerbate dialogue between different political views. The manifesto states his aim was to bait conflict between political groups.



Lights, Camera, Action!

The attacker live streamed the attack. After this, he spread the attack on social media. More details will emerge about the individual and other suspects in the days ahead. No one knows how he came into possession of the weapons he used. In addition, no one knows how he acquired the skills to build the IEDs. Authorities believe he may have watched videos online.



The attacker allegedly posted that he traveled to Pakistan. Whether this is real remains to be confirmed. Currently, Turkey, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia have all claimed their citizens as among those killed. Regardless of these claims, Police have not released any names at this point.

