What we know: How the New Zealand terror attack unfolded

Fifty people were killed and 50 others wounded in a terror attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, police announced Sunday.

The unprecedented mass shootings were carefully planned, and have shocked the usually peaceful nation

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern described the attack on Friday as one of her country’s “darkest days.” She said that the suspects held “extremist views” that have no place in New Zealand or anywhere else in the world.

A man with blood-stained clothing is seen near the Linwood mosque on Friday, March 15.

Paramedics load an injured man into an ambulance in Christchurch, New Zealand, on Friday, March 15.

A man reacts as he speaks on a cell phone near one of the mosques. The two mosques targeted were the al Noor mosque on Deans Avenue and the Linwood mosque on Linwood Avenue.

Bloodied bandages litter the road on Deans Avenue.

A body lies outside one of the mosques.

Police Commissioner Mike Bush speaks to the media during a news conference in Wellington. Bush said two improvised explosive devices were attached to a vehicle as part of the attack. One device was disabled and authorities were working on the other.

A police officer attempts to move people away from a mosque.

Members of the public react in front of the al Noor mosque after the attack.

A forensics official works at the al Noor mosque after the attack.

Armed police patrol outside one of the mosques.

People stand across the road from one of the targeted mosques.

People grieve on a curb in Christchurch.

People talk on their phones after the attacks.

Members of the media wait around the scene as police officers cordon off the area.

Ambulances and medical personnel stand by outside a mosque.

Police block off the area around one of the mosques.

In photos: Terror attack at New Zealand mosques

Prev Next

An Australian citizen in his late 20s has been charged with murder in connection with the attacks. Two other people were arrested in the immediate aftermath of the shootings.

Here’s what we know so far.

Where the Christchurch shootings happened

A gunman targeted two mosques in central Christchurch at lunchtime Friday local time. Friday is the busiest day for many mosques around the world.

The first and most deadly shooting took place just after 1:30 pm at al Noor mosque.

A graphic video which streamed live on social media for about 17 minutes purports to show a portion of the attack: In it, a man is seen driving through the streets of Christchurch before arriving at the mosque and eventually opening fire.

The horrific attack on al Noor Mosque, including the time where shooter returns to the car to re-arm, lasts approximately six minutes.

As the shooter drove away from al Noor mosque, he opened fire on several people who were walking along the street, the video appears to show.

Social media sites such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter struggled to halt the spread of the footage, raising new questions about the companies’ ability to manage harmful content on their platforms.

Shortly after the livestream ended, a second attack took place at Linwood mosque. At least seven people were killed there and another died later at the hospital.

A number of weapons were recovered at both locations. Ardern said improvised explosive devices were also found at the scene.

What we know about the suspects

Brenton Tarrant, 28, has been charged with murder in connection to the unprecedented attack on the two mosques.

A police officer secures the area in front of the Masjid al Noor mosque after a shooting incident in Christchurch on March 15, 2019. - Attacks on two Christchurch mosques left at least 49 dead on March 15, with one gunman -- identified as an Australian extremist -- apparently livestreaming the assault that triggered the lockdown of the New Zealand city. (Photo by Tessa BURROWS / AFP) (Photo credit should read TESSA BURROWS/AFP/Getty Images)

Related article Mass shooting suspect charged with murder in New Zealand

He appeared in Christchurch district court on Saturday. During his brief appearance, Tarrant was handcuffed and accompanied by three officers armed with tasers. He was silent during his court appearance and has been remanded in custody to reappear in court on April 5.

Just before the shootings, a link to an 87-page manifesto on Twitter and 8chan, an online messaging board that has been used by anonymous accounts to share extremist messages and cheer on mass shooters, was posted to an account in Tarrant’s name

The manifesto is unsigned. Its author claims to be a 28-year-old white man, born in Australia. It is filled with anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim sentiments, as well as explanations for an attack.

Brenton Tarrant appears in the Christchurch District Court. New Zealand requires that his face is pixelated.

Tarrant has traveled around the world, “with sporadic periods of time spent in New Zealand,” Ardern said in a press conference. She added that he was based in Dunedin, New Zealand at the time of the attack.

She told reporters that none of the people who had been arrested, including Tarrant, had been on any watch lists.

New Zealand’s gun control laws scrutinized

Prime Minister Ardern announced early Saturday local time that New Zealand’s gun laws would change in response to the terror attack.

She said the primary perpetrator was in possession of a gun license and used five guns during the attack – including two semi-automatic weapons and two shotguns.

“While work is being done as to the chain of events that lead to both the holding of this gun license and the possession of these weapons, I can tell you one thing right now. Our gun laws will change,” she said at a news conference in Wellington.

Until Friday, the biggest massacre in New Zealand’s history happened nearly 30 years ago, when a man killed 13 people in a shooting rampage.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaking to the media following the attack.

The nation’s gun laws were eventually changed after the attack, regulating military-style semi-automatic firearms. However, New Zealand’s weapons legislation is still considered more relaxed than most countries Western outside of the USA.

While gun owners are required to have a license, they don’t need to register their guns – unlike its neighbor Australia.

CNN’s Eliza Mackintosh and Gianluca Mezzofiore contributed to this story.