It’s been two days since New Zealand’s “darkest day”. New Zealand PM comforted the crowd at mosque as nation mourns its dead.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said her office was one of more than 30 recipients of an emailed manifesto just nine minutes before guns were fired. “It did not include location. It did not include specific details,” she said. “Within two minutes of receipt it was conveyed directly to parliamentary security.” “Had it provided details that could have been acted on immediately it would have been, but unfortunately there were no such details in the email.”
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Police Commissioner Mike Bush has issued a statement addressing the Christchurch terror attack. It reads as follows:
“Following the terror attack on Friday, I am fully aware that many people will want to return to their routines. The public wants to go back to school, work, their recreational activities, etc.
“It’s the role of New Zealand Police to enable people to do that. That is why people in Christchurch will notice that police are highly visible – on the streets, around businesses, schools, and in the air.
“This is for everyone’s safety; it’s to reassure the public. This increased presence and visibility is throughout New Zealand; our cities, towns, and neighbourhoods.
“Again, this is for everyone’s reassurance. It’s our job to ensure people feel safe and are safe. So you will feel safe to go about what you want to do.”
The Police Commissioner said that police received its first 111 call at 1:41pm. The first armed Police unit was on scene at 1:47pm – that’s six minutes to respond. Within 10 minutes, the Armed Offenders Squad was on scene.Within 36 minutes, a mobile offender was in custody.
Police Deputy Commissioner Wally Haumaha says he’s focused on returning all the victims to their loved ones. He added that the victims aged ranged from three-years-old to 77. He confirmed two children have been killed. He did not want to confirm a time frame on the release of bodies in case it lifted the expectations of grieving families. Mr Haumaha said the deaths were a criminal investigation. “We are taking our time to ensure we get it right”. The Guardian features details on those killed. Earlier the New Zealand Red Cross has published a list of those missing on its website, which includes people from countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Jordan, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
Facebook has said it removed 1.5m videos of the Christchurch mass shootings within 24 hours. “Out of respect for the people affected by this tragedy and the concerns of local authorities, we’re also removing all edited versions of the video that do not show graphic content”, said Mia Garlick of Facebook New Zealand.
Canadian rock legend Bryan Adams has paid tribute to the victims, telling fans in Nelson it felt strange to be playing a show, but they had to “keep our lives moving forward”.Adams was set to play Hagley Park on Sunday, but cancelled it soon after the “horrific” events.
