New Zealand police say they believe only one person carried out the attacks on two mosques in Christchurch but officers says that does not mean there were no other people in support.
Fifty people were killed and fifty others were injured in the incidents which happened as worshipers gathered for Friday afternoon prayers at Linwood and Al Noor mosques. The attack is the worst to occur in New Zealand in thirty years.
“We believe absolutely there was only one attacker responsible for this.” Commissioner Mike Bush told a news conference.
The attacker, identified as Brenton Tarrant, a self-declared Australian white supremacist was arraigned in court and charged with murder following his arrest. He is expected to face other charges when he appears in court again on April 5.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that the cabinet had made a decision in principle to reform the country’s gun laws to make communities safer. Ardern pledged to give further details of the decisions within 10 days adding that an inquiry would be launched into the country’s intelligence services.
“I will announce a more fulsome set of details once we have worked through the decisions the Cabinet made today,” Ardern said.
Individuals with weapons similar to those used in the attacks have been encouraged to surrender them to the authorities.
A national memorial to honour victims of the attack is scheduled to take place but the prime minister gave no details of when it would happen.
