49 Confirmed Dead in Mass
Shooting at New Zealand Mosques The shootings occurred at the Masjid Al Noor mosque
and the nearby Linwood Masjid mosque in the
New Zealand city of Christchurch. The attack left 49 people dead and 20 others,
including children, seriously injured. The Masjid Al Noor mosque was reportedly full for
Friday afternoon prayers at the time of the shooting. Witnesses stated the shooter entered
the mosque with a semi-automatic weapon
and began firing into the service. He then fled from the mosque on foot, triggering a
lockdown of the nearby area including several schools. Four people were apprehended by police,
three men and one woman, shortly after the attack. Officials stated that a 28-year-old man has been charged with the attack. The man posted a white-nationalist manifesto on Twitter and 8chan, and a link to his Facebook page where he said he would broadcast the shooting. Investigators also found and defused two improvised
explosives attached to one of the attacker's vehicles. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden called
the attack "one of New Zealand's darkest days." Jacinda Arden,
via statement