At least 49 people were killed in a terrorist attack on two New Zealand mosques Friday, The New York Times reports.
A gunman from Australia in his late 20s livestreamed part of the attack on Facebook. He was later taken into custody. The gunman published a lengthy manifesto espousing anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant views.
Officials say 41 people were killed at the Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand and another seven were killed at the nearby Lindwood Mosque, which is about three miles away. Another victim died at a local hospital.
At least 48 others, including young children, are being treated for injuries.
The man who livestreamed the attack was taken into custody along with three others -- two men and one woman. Police said one of those detained may not be related to the attack. It’s unclear how the other two individuals are involved. Police say two explosive devices were found attached to a car that they had stopped.
Shooting was livestreamed on Facebook:
The gunman livestreamed the sickening attack in a 17-minute video posted to Facebook.
The video shows the man pull up to the Al Noor Mosque and begin shooting people.
At one point, the gunman returned to his car to retrieve another weapon.
The guns used were inscribed with symbols, numbers, and names.
After the attack, the gunman was seen driving away.
Gunman had white nationalist manifesto:
The shooter, a 28-year-old Australian-born man, posted links to a white nationalist manifesto on Twitter and the extremist right-wing forum 8chan, The New York Times reports.
“Writing that he had purposely used guns to stir discord in the United States over the Second Amendment’s provision on the right to bear arms, he also declared himself a fascist. ‘For once, the person that will be called a fascist, is an actual fascist,’ he wrote,” The Times reported.
Australian lawmaker blames Muslims for attack:
Australian Fraser Anning, who is a member of the right-wing Katter’s Australian Party, drew condemnation after he blamed Muslims for the attack on the mosques.
“Does anyone still dispute the link between Muslim immigration and violence?” he asked on Twitter.
In another statement, he said that Muslims “may have been the victims today; usually they are the perpetrators.”
“The real cause of bloodshed on New Zealand streets today is the immigration program which allowed Muslim fanatics to migrate to New Zealand in the first place,” he said.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Twitter condemned the statement.
Morrison wrote “remarks by Senator Fraser Anning blaming the murderous attacks by a violent, right-wing, extremist terrorist in New Zealand on immigration are disgusting. Those views have no place in Australia, let alone the Australian Parliament.”
