Dozens killed in Christchurch mosque attack

The latest updates on the aftermath of the Christchurch terror attack can be found here.

Thirty-four patients are still receiving treatment at Christchurch Hospital and two were discharged on Sunday, Christchurch Hospital Head of Surgery Greg Robertson said in a press conference.

So far, only suspected shooter Brenton Tarrant has been charged with murder for the attack on two mosques in Christchurch on Friday, according to New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush.

Bush said at a press conference Sunday that others had been arrested but that police did not believe they were involved in the attack.

“I will not be saying anything conclusive until we are absolutely convinced as to how many people were involved, but we hope to be able to give that advice over the next few days,” Bush added.

Two other people were apprehended, Bush said, and police seized a firearm from them. The woman was released without charge, while the other man was charged with firearms offenses.

One additional man was also arrested in the aftermath of the shooting, but police said they don’t believe he was involved in the attack either. Bush said the man was helping get children to safety but that he armed himself, “which is not the right approach.”

Police stand outside a mosque in Linwood in Christchurch, New Zealand, on March 15. Multiple people were killed during shootings at two mosques full of people attending Friday prayers. (AP/Mark Baker)

Abdul Aziz Wahabzadah says he was inside Linwood Islamic Centre in Christchurch, New Zealand, when a gunman opened fire.

Wahabzadah grabbed a credit card reader and ran outside the building. He threw the credit card reader at the suspect while shouting at him in an attempt to distract the shooter away from the mosque.

“I was screaming at the guy, ‘Come here, I’m here’,” Wahabzadah told CNN.?“I just want him to put more focus on me than go inside the masjid (“mosque”).?But unfortunately, he got himself to the masjid.”

Wahabzadah’s four children were inside the mosque.

Wahabzadah said the shooter then dropped his weapon and ran back to his car.?Wahabzadah said he thought the shooter went to get more weapons from his car.

Wahabzadah told CNN he ran after the shooter and picked up a discarded weapon of the gunman, which he described as a “shotgun.” He threw it at the gunman’s car, shattering his window.??

“When he sees me I am chasing with a gun, he sat in his car”, Wahabzadah said.?“And I just got the gun and throw it on his window like an arrow and blast his window.?He thought probably I shot him or something and then he drive off.”

Wahabzadah didn’t stop there. He said he continued chasing after him but the shooter did a U-turn and raced off.?

It was then that Wahabzadah said he returned to the mosque to discover the scope of the violence.

Fifty people were killed and 50 others were wounded in the attack,?New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush told reporters.

The death toll had been previously reported as 49.

A Syrian refugee and his teenage sons, a Pakistani academic and a blossoming student are among the victims of Friday’s attacks, the biggest massacre in New Zealand’s modern history.

As authorities begin to release information on the victims, here’s what we know so far.

New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush is about to speak to reporters in Wellington to provide an update on the Christchurch attack.

Watch it here.

A group of people in Melbourne, Australia, took part in a vigil for the victims of the attacks at two Christchurch, New Zealand, mosques, according to Zahraa Albadri.

They put out 49 prayer mats with candles for the 49 victims.

Here’s a photo from the scene:

Wasseim Alsati, who survived the Christchurch terror attack, posted a Facebook video from his hospital bed on Friday thanking people for their support.

In the caption, Alsati says he was shot three times and “was in a lot of pain.”

Watch here:

Here’s what he said:

This photo was taken at 2:45 a.m. across the street from the Al Noor mosque, where 41 people were killed on Friday.

Flowers line the area behind the police tape and candles are burning to remember the victims.

In a video on Twitter, police officers were seen earlier taking flowers from a memorial into their police car so they could place them outside the mosque.

A hotel owner?confirmed to CNN that Christchurch shooting suspect Brenton Tarrant visited Pakistan in October 2018.

“He was a regular tourist,”?owner?Syed Israr Ahmed?told CNN. “All I remember was that he was a fan of local food. He would leave the hotel in the morning and come back in the evenings.”?

Ahmed owns Osho Thang Hotel in Pakistan’s northern town?of Nagar. He posted a picture of Tarrant online when he visited the hotel but has since removed it.

Six Pakistanis were among the 49 people killed?in the mass shooting on Friday, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry confirmed.

The New Zealand Police Association says it fully supports Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s calls to change the country’s gun laws.

“Jacinda Ardern has said emphatically that New Zealand’s gun laws will change and that now is the time for that change,” Police Association President Chris Cahill said in a statement.

Cahill added that the debate that New Zealand is about to have on access to certain firearms should be short and swift.

“There is no place in the upcoming debate for the radical gun lobby which has made its presence felt in previous attempts to make our country safer,” he said. “That input undoubtedly contributed to the rejection of most of the select committee recommendations on tightening our gun laws.”

He continued:

New Zealand’s weapons legislation is considered more relaxed than most Western countries outside of the US. Gun owners do need a license but they?aren’t required to register?their guns – unlike in neighboring Australia.

That said, gun-inflicted deaths are relatively low in New Zealand.?

United Kingdom Home Secretary Sajid Javid called the livestreaming of the New Zealand attack “absolutely repellant,” and called on tech companies to do more to stop the video from spreading.

“Online platforms have a responsibility not to do the terrorists’ work for them,” Javid wrote in an article for The Daily Express on Saturday.

He added that the attacker filmed the shooting “with the intention of spreading his ideology.”

“Allowing terrorists to glorify in the bloodshed or spread more extremist views can only lead to more radicalisation and murders,” Javid said.

Javid also called upon people to stop viewing and sharing the “sick material.”

He mentioned a new policy proposal that will be introduced in the UK to ensure that tech companies that don’t “clean up their platforms” would have to answer to the law.

Italy’s Minister of the Interior Matteo Salvini was asked whether attacks like the one in New Zealand could happen in his home country because of his aggressive, anti-immigrant rhetoric.

“The only extremism that deserves attention is the Islamic one,” Salvini said on Friday.

The far-right politician added that while any violence linked to extremists should be condemned, other forms of extremism like the right-wing extremism that inspired the New Zealand attacks were just “nostalgia.”

“The fringes of the extreme right and the extreme left represent nostalgia, removed from world and from time, deserving of moral condemnation,”?Salvini?said. “If there is an extremism for which I set the goals of the acts I sign at the Ministry of the Interior, it is extremism of an Islamic mould.”

Salvini has clashed with the European Union over his extreme stance on immigration.

Khaled Mustafa, a refugee from Syria, was killed in the attack on Friday, Syrian Solidarity New Zealand said on its Facebook page. He was with his two sons during Friday Prayers when the shooter opened fire.

“Khaled Mustafa is a Syrian Refugee who has come with his family (wife and three children) to NZ, which they thought was the safe heaven, in 2018,” Syrian Solidarity New Zealand said. “One of Khaled’s two sons has gone under a six hour operation last night in Christchurch Hospital.”?

The group’s spokesperson, Ali Akil, told New Zealand news media company Stuff that he had spoken to Mustafa’s wife, who was “devastated and deeply horrified.” He added that she did not wish to speak with the media during this time, Stuff reported.?

Synagogues and Jewish community centers in New Zealand are reportedly being closed on Sunday, following Friday’s shooting attack at two mosques in Christchurch.

“For the first time in history synagogues in NZ are closed on Shabbat following the shocking massacre of Muslims in Christchurch,” Israeli politician Isaac Herzog tweeted Friday.

Herzog added that “the Jewish Agency and the NZ Jewish Council stand in solidarity with the bereaved families. We are united in fighting violent hatred and racism.” Herzog was recently elected chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel.

The Wellington Jewish Community Centre on New Zealand’s North Island informed worshipers that on Facebook that the center would be closed on “police advice.”

“The Wellington Jewish Community Centre will be closed and all activities suspended tomorrow Sunday 17 March on Police advice. Community members should check their email and our member Facebook group for more information and updates. We hope to have an update Sunday,” the center wrote.

Canterbury Bulldogs players observe a moment of silence before their Rugby League match in Auckland, New Zealand on Saturday.

Few countries are more closely associated with sport than New Zealand - but sporting events are taking a back seat this weekend after Friday’s terror attack.

A cricket test match between New Zealand and Bangladesh, due to be held in Christchurch’s Hagley Oval on Saturday, was cancelled. Bangladesh players had been staying in a hotel in the city when the attacks took place, but the team confirmed all players were safe.

The Plunket Shield, a domestic cricket competition, was also decided with a round of fixtures to go. Canterbury were still in contention to win the trophy, but agreed to withdraw from the running after the attack.

A rugby game between the Highlanders and Crusaders, due to be played at Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium, was also cancelled. The 28-year-old shooter had been living in Dunedin, a city about 225 miles from Christchurch, New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.

New Zealand’s world-leading rugby team, the All Blacks, also shared condolences after the attack.

Police in Christchurch have been receiving praise on social media for their response to Friday’s attack.

One video, which has been liked over a thousand times, shows police officers taking flowers from a memorial into their police car so they can place them outside Al Noor mosque, which is taped-off from the public.

Meanwhile, Canterbury Police - who represent the region to which Christchurch belongs - have thanked people for donating food.

“Cantabrians are so generous,” they wrote. “The family assistance centre at Hagley College has more than enough food! Thank you to everyone who has supported its efforts so far but no more food is required at this stage.”

More details about the shooting suspect’s travels throughout Europe are emerging.

28-year-old Brenton Tarrant, who appeared in court Saturday, visited Bulgaria between November 9 and 15 of last year, Bulgarian Prosecutor General Sotir Tsatsarov told journalists on Friday, according to state news agency BTA.

Tarrant arrived in Sofia on a flight from Dubai, rented a car the next day and toured cities connected with Bulgarian history, Tsatsarov said according to BTA. He added that the New Zealand attack suspect had a very good knowledge of the region’s history.

“Our task is to collect information about Brenton Tarrant’s whole visit to Bulgaria and whether he has any ties with Bulgarians,” Tsatsarov said according to BTA. “According to the preliminary information, the Australian had a tourist visa”.

Tsatsarov also told journalists that after leaving Bulgaria, Tarrant went to Romania, traveling from there to Hungary by car.

Turkish officials also told CNN on Saturday that the suspect had spent an extended period of time in Turkey.

Jacinda Ardern speaks at a press conference on Saturday.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s office received an email with the manifesto from the shooter minutes before the attack, Ardern’s chief press secretary Andrew Campbell told CNN.

Campbell confirmed the email was sent minutes before the attack to a “generic” email account that was maintained by staff, and was not seen by the Prime Minister.

The shooter’s hate-filled 87-page manifesto contained anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim ideas, and was also posted online before the attack.

When Ahmed Khan moved to New Zealand as a refugee from Afghanistan 12 years ago, he thought he had left violence and death behind.

But on Friday, as he was praying at Linwood mosque in Christchurch, Khan saw an armed man starting to shoot indiscriminately at worshipers. Khan said he pulled one injured child out of danger and was holding a man who’d been shot in the arm when the gunman returned.

“(The wounded man) was asking for some water. I said to him, ‘calm down, the police are here now’ and stuff. And the gunman came through the window again while I was holding him and shot him in the head. And he was dead,” Khan told CNN.

His is one many heartbreaking stories shared by survivors of Friday’s tragedy, which took place in a city they had trusted was safe.

“We felt it was such a safe city, such a safe country,” a 30-year-old construction project manager, who did not want to be named, told CNN. “The hatred has spread everywhere.”

Ahmad Khan said he watched as a man was shot dead in his arms during one of the mosque shootings.

Related article He fled Afghanistan, only to see death in Christchurch

Christchurch resident David Lynch

For many longtime Christchurch residents, heartbreaking tragedy is becoming an all-to-familiar experience.

David Lynch, 58, was “born and bred” in the city which has less than 400,000 residents. He attended the memorial site with his daughter on Saturday to pay his respects - eight years after witnessing an earthquake in the town that destroyed buildings and left 185 people dead.

“Eight years ago, with the tragedy of the earthquake, I remember seeing media from the US on a corner not far from here with a fallen building. Seeing the media today takes me right back,” he told CNN. “But there’s a bit of a difference. Then, it was a natural disaster. This is a massive loss of life through someone’s believe that Muslims should die.”

“When you look at where we are geographically, these types of people, their thinking is always to try to get as much attention (as possible),” he added. “To come to such a unique place that is considered so safe and away from so much of the rest of the world where these things happen on a regular basis. I guess that much have been part of the appeal.”

Lynch has a message for Christchurch’s Muslim community. “I think it’s a time for supporting and standing with them, and make them realize that what’s happened here is not what New Zealand is all about,” he said.

Read more about the two tragedies that have struck Christchurch here.

Sydney’s iconic opera house is lit up in New Zealand colors tonight in response to the attack. A silver fern, the national symbol is projected in the middle of the building.

In Melbourne, Australia’s second city, hundreds have also been paying their respects.

Other cities around the world have been marking the tragedy, with the Eiffel Tower in Paris going dark on Friday evening.

And the spire of New York’s One World Trade Center was lit in blue and red, the colors of New Zealand’s flag.

Meanwhile, vigils have been held at mosques and community centers worldwide - many of which were surrounded by an increased security presence to prevent a follow-up attack.

The Eiffel Tower in Paris goes dark on Friday evening

Social media platforms including Facebook, YouTube and Twitter have been scrambling to remove a 17-minute video of the attack, apparently live-streamed online by the shooter. CNN has not verified the video, and has not shown it on its platforms.

The sites have all said they are removing the video as soon as they become aware that it has been posted.

But the task of the tech companies is made more difficult by the fact that the video was partially shown by many news organizations around the world. That confuses the companies’ algorithms, which are trained to believe that videos are more trustworthy if they are broadcast by news outlets.

And once a video is shared online, it’s difficult to remove any copies and stills which people subsequently post. “That video that will be up there forever now,” Brett Lee, founder of the organization Internet Safe Education, told CNN.

“Facebook can close accounts, they can take things down, but there will be multiple copies of that [the video] - and potentially, that can be shared millions of times,” he said. “The damage is already done.”

Lee called the internet a “powerful and effective” tool for extremists and terrorists. “We have created a bit of a beast that is there for the use of people who do want to spread messages of hate,” he added.

Read more about how the attack was designed to exploit social media here.

Brenton Tarrant, the suspect behind Friday’s mass shooting at two Christchurch mosques that left 49 people dead, had traveled to Turkey multiple times and spent “an extended period of time” there, a senior Turkish official told CNN on Saturday.

Turkey is “currently investigating the suspect’s movements and contacts within the country,” the official told CNN adding he believes Tarrant may have also traveled to additional countries in Europe, Asia and Africa.

In a chapter of Tarrant’s hate-filled manifesto he called for the assassination of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, declaring “he must bleed his last.”?State broadcaster TRT, citing Turkish authorities, said officials are investigating whether Tarrant was in the country “to carry out a terror attack and/ or an assassination.”

Erdogan condemned Friday’s attack in a post on Twitter, calling it “the latest example of rising racism and Islamophobia.”

Far-right writer and speaker Milo Yiannopoulos has been banned from entering Australia after he condemned Islam in the aftermath of the Christchurch mosque attacks, immigration minister David Coleman said.

Writing on social media after the shootings, in which 49 people were killed, Yiannopoulos described Islam as a “barbaric, alien religious culture.”

Yiannopoulos was supposed to tour Australia this year but Coleman said the British writer’s response was “appalling and fomented hatred and division.”

“The terrorist attack in Christchurch was carried out on Muslims peacefully practicing their religion.?It was an act of pure evil.?Australia stands with New Zealand and with Muslim communities the world over in condemning this inhuman act,” Coleman said in a statement Saturday.

The number of Jordan citizens killed in the Christchurch mosque attacks has risen to three, the country’s foreign ministry announced on Saturday.

Another five were injured, including a five-year-old girl in critical condition.

Speaking to Jordan’s al-Mamlaka TV, the girl’s uncle Sabri al-Daraghmeh said she was shot in the face, abdomen and leg.

Jordan’s King Abdullah described the shootings as “heinous” on his official Twitter account on Friday.

Families have told CNN they are still waiting for news about missing loved ones more than a day after the terrorist attacks on two mosques in Christchurch.

Here’s what we know so far:

Mourners leave messages and flowers for the Christchurch mosque victims outside the city's Botanic Gardens

New Zealand police have made a public plea for witnesses of the Christchurch mosque attacks to aid their investigations.

“Police would like to hear from anybody who may have seen, heard or have any information on the Christchurch attacks of 15 March,” the statement, released Saturday, said.

One Australian man, 28, has been charged with murder. Two people are in custody but have not been charged.

Police haven’t publicly stated whether one gunman committed both mosque shootings or if more attackers were involved.

If you or someone you know saw something which could help, contact police here.

Haji Daoud Nabi came to New Zealand from Afghanistan in 1977

A grandfather who emigrated to New Zealand as an asylum seeker in 1977 was among those killed in the terrorist attacks on two Christchurch mosques on Friday.

Haji Daoud Nabi came to New Zealand from Afghanistan with his two sons. After arriving, he had three more children, two sons and a daughter.

One of his children, Yama Nabi, said he was running 10 minutes late for a service on Friday – only to arrive and find the attack underway.

Police are yet to officially name any of the 49 victims but Nabi’s son told journalists in Christchurch on Saturday that his father had been killed.

A number of Pakistan citizens were also in the mosques. Speaking to CNN in Abbottabad, Dr Khurshid Alam said his brother Naeem Rashid, 50, and his nephew Talha Rashid, 21, were among those killed.

He said colleagues had confirmed the deaths to him. “He was in New Zealand for seven years, he used to teach at a university. My nephew was a student,” he said.

Holding a sign saying “#No to Hate and Terror,” 32-year-old New Zealander Deepak Sharma’s voice cracked as he spoke to CNN.

“One idiot can create this much terror. It’s just phenomenal,” he said. “It should stop here.”

New Zealander Deepak Sharma visits the memorial for the Christchurch victims.

Sharma was visiting a shrine for the victims in central Christchurch, close to the Al Noor Mosque where 41 people were killed on Friday.

Another visitor, a 30-year-old construction project manager who asked not be named, told CNN she would have been inside one of the mosques if she hadn’t been running late.

One of her friends was shot dead in the attack, while three others remain missing.

“We felt it was such a safe city, such a safe country,” she said.

“The hatred has spread everywhere, so the time has come to stop this and treat everyone as a human being.

“No one is born with their choice in religion. We don’t choose religion, God puts us in that religion.”

Tributes left to the victims at Hagley Park South, down the road from Al Noor mosque where one attack took place.

“An evil Aussie export,” national newspaper “The Australian” declared on its front page, accompanied by a picture of the 28-year-old man accused of murder over the Christchurch mosque shootings.

Conservative tabloid “The Daily Telegraph” put it simply: “Monster.”

Other publishers were more restrained in their coverage, focusing on the victims of the tragedy. “Dozens killed in cold blood,” the headline of Melbourne-based “The Age” said.

But some publishers have been criticized over perceived attempts to humanize the alleged attacker.

Queensland’s “Courier Mail” in particular was targeted over its use of the headline “Working class madman.”

“Why is the ‘working class’ kid description necessary or relevant?” former human rights commissioner Tim Soutphommasane tweeted.

Australian Brenton Tarrant, the 28-year-old charged with murder in connection with the?mass shootings at two New Zealand mosques that left 49 people dead, appeared to be a “relatively normal” person, a former employer told Australia’s Nine News.

Gym manager Tracey Gray said the alleged killer worked for her for several years in the northern New South Wales town of Grafton in the late 2000s.

“He was (as) normal as one person to the next,” Gray told CNN affiliate Nine News. “He never showed any extremes of extremist views or any crazy behavior.”

Gray said Tarrant might have been radicalized during a trip to Europe and Asia in the early 2010s.

“I can’t believe that someone I had daily dealings with would be capable of something this extreme,” she said.

At least one of the guns used in the Christchurch mosque shootings appears to have been modified, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.

Ardern said on Saturday that changes made to the guns would be part of her review of New Zealand’s firearm laws.

“New Zealand cabinet’s only focus on Monday will be a briefing on what we have seen and will mainly focus on security and New Zealand’s gun laws,” she said at a press conference.

Ardern earlier said there will be changes to the country’s gun laws in the wake of Friday’s twin terrorist attacks which killed 49 people.

She added that while the government was aware of “far-right groups in New Zealand,” it didn’t have the 28-year-old attacker on its radar.

Security officials guard the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch after the attack on Friday.

Emergency services are still removing bodies from the Deans Avenue mosque where 41 people were killed on Friday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.

Ardern said she hoped all the dead would be cleared on Saturday, adding authorities were aware of Islamic burial practices. The Deans Avenue mosque was one of two in Christchurch targeted by gunmen on Friday.

According to the New Zealand Muslim Association, it is traditional for a body to be buried “as soon as possible” after death.

Bodies should be washed and shrouded in preparation for burial.

Ardern also said families who lost loved ones in the two shootings would be entitled to compensation.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says police security at mosques across New Zealand will continue until “it is deemed there is no longer a threat.”

She said more charges would also be laid against the Australian accused of the Christchurch attacks. The 28-year-old faced court on Saturday morning charged with one count of murder.

“It absolutely was his intention to continue with his attack,” she said at a press conference.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern visits the Canterbury Refugee Centre in Christchurch on March 16

New Zealand leader Jacinda Ardern has visited a Christchurch refugee center to deliver a message of unity to the country’s Islamic community.

“You were quick to mention this is not the New Zealand that you know. I want to reaffirm that today. This is not New Zealand,” she told Muslim leaders.

Ardern has already announced that there will be changes to the country’s gun laws in the aftermath of the Christchurch mosque shootings which killed 49 people.

According to TVNZ, Ardern visited the center with deputy prime minister Winston Peters and opposition National Party leader Simon Bridges.

One of the Australia’s most recognizable landmarks, the Sydney Opera House, will display the New Zealand silver fern on Saturday night to remember the Christchurch victims.

NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian announced the show of respect on her official Twitter account, saying it was a “symbol of solidarity, support and respect.”

Melbourne, Australia’s second-largest city, lit up in the New Zealand colors on Friday night, while the country’s Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, said flags would be flown at half mast out of respect for the 49 people killed.

It comes as Australian security services work with their New Zealand counterparts to investigate the 28-year-old man charged with murder following the attacks.

The?unprecedented attacks on two mosques?in the New Zealand city of Christchurch, in which at least 49 people died, have left a peaceful nation reeling.

But this is not the first time the?coastal city of around 400,000 people on New Zealand’s South Island has been swept by tragedy.

A series of earthquakes: Between 2010 and 2011, the country’s third most populous city was plagued by a series of earthquakes.

The worst happened in February 2011, when a 6.3-magnitude earthquake ripped through Christchurch in the middle of the day —?toppling buildings onto buses, buckling streets and damaging cathedrals.

While New Zealand is accustomed to earthquakes, few have been as devastating as that tremor, which killed 185 people, injured 6,000 and damaged 170,000 buildings.

Read more here.

New Zealanders have been leaving tributes to the victims of Friday’s terrorist attacks near the Christchurch Botanical gardens, close to the Al Noor mosque where 41 people died.

Some have left flowers, while other have written on the pavement in colored chalk.

“From the depths of our hearts, we are sorry,” one message said.

Amro Ibrahim, a worshipper at the Al Noor mosque, said he was at work when he heard about the attack. His manager let him leave to try to contact his friends.

“I just wanted to make sure I could catch up with my friends and nothing bad had happened to them,” he said

Ibrahim said the outpouring of support from the Christchurch community showed how New Zealand had “accepted us and looked after us.”

New Zealanders write tributes to the victims at the entrance to the Botanic Gardens, close to the Al Noor Mosque.

It was a terrorist attack that seemed orchestrated for the social media age.

The brutal shootings at two Christchurch mosques, which killed 49 people, were previewed on an infamous internet message board and then graphically live-streamed on Facebook.

An 87-page manifesto, found by authorities after it was posted online, was filled with anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim ideas.

But?the document was distinctive in being riddled with sarcastic language, deliberate red herrings and allusions to online meme culture, suggesting an internet-driven evolution of nationalist hatred.

This attack was about the rise of white supremacy online and the power of social media in spreading that message.

Keep reading.

In the streets around the Al Noor mosque, where at least 41 people died, New Zealanders have left flowers and messages of support for the victims and their families.

“We all are one, we all are with you,” one heart-shaped card said.

Tributes left to the victims at Hagley Park South, down the road from Al Noor mosque where one attack took place.

Police Commissioner Mike Bush

New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush said police are not searching for additional suspects following the Christchurch mass shooting.

“We’re not searching for anyone that we think is an immediate threat but that does not mean they don’t exist,” Bush said at a news conference.

He continued:

Christchurch Hospital is treating 39 people who were injured in the terror attack targeting two mosques in New Zealand, according to Greg Robertson, the hospital’s chief of surgery.

The victims?received wounds to most parts of their bodies, he said.

Here’s what we know about the victims:

The family of the 28-year-old Australian citizen charged with murder after the Christchurch terrorist attack is “assisting and cooperating,” police told CNN.

New South Wales police said their officers are speaking with the alleged shooter’s family, who live in Grafton, 372 miles north of Sydney.

At least 49 people were killed in the attacks on two mosques on Friday. The 28-year-old appeared in court on Saturday morning.

Police said that separately, Commissioner Michael Fuller and Deputy Commissioner Michael Welling have met with senior members of the Islamic community in Sydney on Saturday.

Speaking to the press, New Zealand police commissioner Mike Bush said he had been pleased to hear Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s call for tougher gun laws.

The 28-year-old Australian attacker had a “Category A” firearm license. According to New Zealand police, a standard firearms license allows the holder to obtain any number of sporting-type rifles and shotguns (referred to as “A category” firearms).

Ardern said the main shooter used five guns, including two semi-automatic weapons and two shotguns, during the attack.

New Zealand’s gun laws are still considered to be relatively relaxed compared to non-US nations — gun owners do need a license but they aren’t required to register their guns.?

David Meates, executive of the Canterbury district health board, thanked police for their rapid response to the Christchurch Hospital when it became a secondary target in the terrorist attack.

“Like to acknowledge the way the police moved rapidly to protect staff and patients when the hospital became a secondary target,” Meates said at a news conference at the hospital.

He continued:

New Zealand police commissioner Mike Bush is facing the press again in Christchurch on Friday afternoon, giving the latest updates on the terrorist attack.

Bush said a fourth person who had been arrested shortly after the attack and later released was a “member of the public who wanted to get their kids home but took a firearm.”

There are still two other suspects in custody and one 28-year-old Australian man has been charged with murder.

Bush said there were just 36 minutes from the time police received the call about shots fired until they had the offender in custody.

The FBI is actively scrubbing its intelligence databases in order to identify any possible US-based connections to the New Zealand shooter, according to a law enforcement official who was speaking on background.

FBI headquarters is requesting all field offices review their case files and threat management systems for any subjects who may have expressed an interest in attacking religious institutions or may otherwise be motivated to conduct a retaliatory attack, the source said.

FBI management has tasked its field offices with proactively contacting informants who may be in a position to report on related threats to the homeland.?

The FBI is closely monitoring the situation in Christchurch and is engaged with its law enforcement partners in New Zealand, according to the source.

The United Nations Security Council condemned the terror attack targeting two mosques in the New Zealand, calling it “heinous and cowardly.”

In a statement, the Security Council went on to say that terrorism is “one of the most serious threats to international peace and security.”

Read the council’s full statement:

The FBI advised US citizens to remain vigilant following the mass shooting at two mosques in Christchurch.

The FBI went on to say it will work closely with US law enforcement officials “should there be any potential threat to public safety.”?

The Muslim community was shaken Friday by the attacks in New Zealand, but they said they will not change their behavior.

Mosque leaders said they increased security, and police officers were seen around the grounds at Friday prayer.

“We aren’t going to shy away from being here at the masjid, just like you didn’t, and just like you won’t be next week,” Danish Shaikh said.

Khadija Khan, 28, had a message for the victims in the New Zealand shootings: “You’re not alone.”

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said consular representation is being provided for any foreign nations involved in the attack on two Christchurch mosques.??

“At this stage we understand that those involved include Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Malaysia,” Ardern said at a news conference.

Additionally, the Jordanian foreign ministry has said two of its citizens were killed and five others injured in the attack. Numerous Palestinians have also been reported missing, according to the Palestinian ambassador to New Zealand.

The suspect in the Christchurch mass shooting will face more charges, New Zealand police said in a series of tweets.

Brenton Harrison Tarrant, 28, appeared in a New Zealand court on Saturday local time and was charged with one count of murder. At least 49 people were killed in the attacks on two mosques.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the suspected shooter accused of taking part in the mass shooting of 49 people in Christchurch, held a standard “Category A” gun license.?

“My understanding is that he holds a Category A gun license and again I preface this, that my advice currently is that under that gun license he was able to legally acquire the guns that he held. That will give you an indication of why we need to change our gun laws,” she said at a news conference.

Earlier, Ardern said the main shooter used five guns, including two semi-automatic weapons and two shotguns, during the attack.

One thing to note: According to New Zealand police, a standard firearms license allows the holder to obtain any number of sporting-type rifles and shotguns (referred to as “A category” firearms). In addition, visitors to New Zealand are permitted to apply for a visitor’s firearms license that police said “will let you shoot for hunting or competition in New Zealand for up to a year.”

Brenton Tarrant appears in court in Christchurch. His face is blurred due to court restrictions on the case.

The 28-year-old suspected shooter appeared in court Saturday local time, where he was charged with one count of murder in connection with a hate-filled terror attack in New Zealand, according to a Christchurch District Court document.

The suspect, identified as Brenton Harrison Tarrant, was handcuffed and accompanied by three officers armed with tasers.

He remained silent during his brief court appearance, and he was remanded in custody.

The suspected shooter faces is maximum sentence of life in prison.

He is scheduled to appear in court on April 5.

The New Zealand police just tweeted that the 28-year-old suspect’s hearing will be closed to the public “due to the heightened security risk.”

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said three people have been arrested in relation to the Friday attack on two mosques in Christchurch, including an Australian citizen who is appearing in court on Saturday local time to face murder charges.?

Ardern said inquiries were underway “to establish whether the other two who were arrested were directly involved with this incident.”?

A fourth person who was arrested yesterday “was a member of the public who was in possession of a firearm but with the intention of assisting police,” she added. Ardern said that person has since been released.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she will travel to Christchurch alongside other politicians, following the terror attack on two mosques.

At least 49 people were killed in the carefully planned?attack.

Three people were arrested in connection with the shootings. A 28-year-old man was charged with murder and will appear in court Saturday morning local time. Two others were arrested on suspicion of possession of firearms. Police were investigating their ties to the incident, New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush said.

New Zealand’s prime minister Jacinda Ardern warned people not to share distressing video of the Christchurch terror attack online.

For at least 17 minutes on Friday, a suspected terrorist streamed to Facebook live video of the mass shooting, which killed at least 49 people.

“Police are aware of distressing material relating to this event being online and are reminding people it is an offense to distribute objectionable material,” Ardern said at a news conference in Wellington.

President Trump referred to the attacks at a pair of mosques in New Zealand as “terror attacks” during remarks in the Oval Office on Friday.

“I spoke with Prime Minister Ardern of New Zealand to express the sorrow of our entire nation following the monstrous terror attacks at two mosques,” Trump said, speaking from behind the Resolute Desk.

This was the first time the President has classified the attacks as terrorism.

New Zealand’s prime minister Jacinda Ardern announced that the country’s gun laws will change in response to a hate-filled terror attack targeting two mosques in Christchurch.

“There were five guns used by the primary perpetrator. There were two semi-automatic weapons and two shotguns. The offender was in possession of a gun license. I’m advised this was acquired in November of 2017. A lever action firearm was also found,” she said at a news conference in Wellington early Saturday local time.

She continued:

Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel said the suspect who carried out a terror attack on two mosques in Christchurch on Friday targeted New Zealand for its reputation for being a safe space.

“I think the reason that we have been targeted — and this was, as I understand it, a deliberate decision to target our city and our country — was because we are a safe city and a safe country,” Dalziel said at a news conference.

Dalziel also emphasized that the suspect is not from New Zealand.

President Trump said Friday he does not see?white nationalism as a rising?threat around the world.?

He was asked about the topic after a shooter in New Zealand killed at 49 people, leaving behind a manifesto with white nationalist writing.

Trump said he had not seen the manifesto.

New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush said three people were arrested following the mass shooting in Christchurch:

Forty-nine people were killed and 42 were being treated for injuries following the mosque terror attacks, New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush said.

New Zealand police also said that two of those injured are critical and include a 4-year-old child. Police said 41 people were killed at the Deans Avenue mosque, and seven at the Linwood Avenue mosque. One has since died in hospital.

Bush went on to say police officials are continuing to make inquiries after the tragic events in Christchurch.

“As the Prime Minister stated yesterday, this has been designated a terrorist attack,” Bush said on a message posted on New Zealand police’s Twitter account.

The suspected New Zealand shooter live streamed video of the attack and posted a manifesto online under the name Brenton Tarrant.?CNN has not confirmed this is his real name.?This is the name he called himself online.?New Zealand police have not publicly identified the shooter.

Here’s what we know about the suspect:

President Trump tweeted that he just spoke with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, and told her that the US stands “in solidarity with New Zealand – and that any assistance the U.S.A. can give, we stand by ready to help.”

“We love you New Zealand!” the President tweeted.

An orthodox jewish schoolboy passes a memorial for victims of the mass shooting that killed 11 people at the Tree Of Life Synagogue on Oct. 29, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh is reciprocating the generosity it received from the Muslim community after a mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue last year.

Last October, Muslim groups raised more than $200,000 for the Pittsburgh shooting victims. A gunman stormed into the Tree of Life Synagogue and killed 11 people in what was the deadliest attack ever on Jews in the United States.

The Jewish organization is now working to help the Muslim community after a terror attack on two mosques in New Zealand killed at least 49 people.

In a statement today, the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh said it is accepting donations.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, the first Palestinian-American to serve in the US House, and one of the first two muslim?women elected to US Congress in the last election, issued an emotional statement detailing how she hugged her two children this morning “a little tighter and longer.”

She also wrote she was “so?angry at those who follow the ‘white supremacy’ agenda” in the US, which she said “sends a signal across the world that massacres like this is some kind of call to action.”

Read her full statement:

US Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen issued a statement regarding the deadly terror attack at two mosques in New Zealand, calling it “abhorrent.”

Nielsen went on to say the Department of Homeland Security is monitoring the attack and isn’t aware of any credible threats in the US.

“While we are not aware of any current, credible or active threat domestically, nor of any current information regarding obvious ties between the perpetrators in New Zealand and anyone in the US — the Department is cognizant of the potential concerns members of Muslim-American communities may have as they gather at today’s congregational prayers,” she said.

The NYPD’s counterterrorism unit has positioned heavily armed officers outside a number of New York City mosques & religious institutions in response to the New Zealand terror attack, it said on Twitter.

On the Brian Lehrer radio show earlier this morning, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio spoke about how the city is increasing security at Mosques at places of worship in light of the New Zealand attacks. He also said there is no credible threat to New York City.

“We are immediately — the NYPD — is reinforcing Muslim community centers and mosques. So you’ll see a lot of NYPD presence. Of course, folks will be going to pray today. We want them to be supported,” he said.

Here’s what it looks like:

UN Secretary-General’s António Guterres is “shocked and appalled” by the terror attack in New Zealand, his spokesperson said, and he “extends his deepest condolences to the families of the victims.”?

He also urged non-Muslims to show solidarity with Muslims today.

Guterres underscored the “urgency of working better together globally to counter Islamophobia and eliminate intolerance and violent extremism in all its forms.”

Former Vice President Joe Biden just sent three tweets on the New Zealand terror attack, in which he condemned xenophobia and Islamophobia and called for people to speak out.

“Silence is complicity. Our children are listening. The time to speak out is now,” he tweeted.

See the tweets:

CNN’s Impact Your World is vetting organizations where you can donate to those affected.

One of them is the New Zealand Council of Victim Support Groups. It has launched a?crowdfunding campaign?to collect funds helping victims of the attack and their families.

As we come across and vet more organizations, we will list them here.

Nihad Awad, national executive director Council on American-Islamic Relations, urged Muslims in the US to worship today — and important day of prayer for Muslims — without fear. He says he is confident local and federal authorities are doing all they can to protect mosques.

“Today is a Friday, and Friday is the weekly prayer for Muslims nationwide,” he said at a news conference. “Millions of people who are Muslim will be in mosques in the next couple of hours, concerned and fearful about their lives, that someone might come and hurt them.”

Awad said those who incite violence want Muslims to be fearful.

He added that CAIR has “full confidence in local and federal authorities” to provide security.

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation said it is ready to help following the terror attack at two New Zealand mosques.

The FBI has special agents posted in the region, including in Canberra, Australia.

Some background: The FBI will typically become involved in a foreign criminal investigation that does not involve Americans only at the invitation of that country. It’s not clear if that has happened yet here.?

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the terror attack in New Zealand and vowed to work with the country “to take action against violent extremism.”

Here’s what he said in a statement:

Trudeau also said the world must “recognize diversity as a source of strength, and not a threat.”

“We must all confront Islamophobia and work to create a world in which all people—no matter their faith, where they live, or where they were born—can feel safe and secure,” he said.

The language used in the 87-page manifesto, linked out in a social media post from an account that is believed to belong to one of the attackers, was similar to that used by ISIS and al Qaeda.?

The manifesto is?essentially a self-interview. Police believe this is the work of the primary suspect in this attack.?

He talks about the attack being carried out with the blessing of the Reborn Knights of Templar, which is a reference to the Crusades, in the same way as we hear ISIS constantly referring to people from the west as the Crusaders.?The idea of a leaderless network to inspire individual cells. That?is textbook ISIS.

The language in the manifesto is deliberately almost playful at times, in a very provocative and incendiary way, and is clearly designed to provoke a horrific retaliation with the end goal being creating friction and all-out conflict between different populations in various western liberal democracies.

He also talks about wanting to precipitate civil war and this is exactly what we hear in al Qaeda’s manual, “The Management of Savagery,” or with ISIS’s idea of eliminating the?so-called “gray zone”?of co-existence between Muslims and the West.?The idea being that you use wanton acts of vicious savagery with the objective of causing?retaliation, escalating violence and conflict in countries that have Muslim minorities. He’s trying to stoke tensions, to create a clash of civilizations.

To me, there’s almost a symbiotic relationship happening right now between extreme terrorists on the far-right and between some of these other terrorist organizations that we’re more familiar with.

The other thing that’s interesting, and disconcerting, frankly, is how much of the language and ideas he talks about have also seeped into mainstream political rhetoric.?

He talks a lot about the idea of invasion, that Muslim migrants are invading white?Western countries. He talks about the birth rate, the idea of replacement, that white culture is being replaced.?We’ve heard such words coming from the President of the United States. We’ve heard them coming from far-right governments in Europe, whether it be Italy, whether it be Hungary.?

Based on conversations I’ve been having with Muslims throughout the day, this is something that’s deeply concerning, the idea that the kind of hate speech?that?belonged in far-right ideology has permeated into more mainstream public discourse.

When you look at the?zeitgeist?and the rise of the far right in Europe and the US, ideas that were once considered as taboo to talk about are now being flaunted and public discourse invariably sets a tone.

There’s not necessarily a clear linkage in terms of causality – not everyone who hears this sort of rhetoric picks up a gun and goes and kills 49 people in a mosque – but you can’t look at one without looking at the broader environment in which it’s thriving.

One person has been charged with murder in connection with the terror attack on two mosques?in New Zealand that left at least 49 people dead.

Here’s what we know about the suspect:

William and Kate, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have said they have all spent time in Christchurch and its “open-hearted and generous” people.

They condemned the violence on the Muslim community, calling it “horrifying assault on a way of life that embodies decency, community, and friendship.”

Here’s the full statement:

Following the terror attack in New Zealand, former US President Barack Obama tweeted we must “stand against hatred in all its forms.”

Here’s his tweet:

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo both announced increased police presence at mosques around the city and state following the terror attack in New Zealand.

Cuomo said that the city “stands with the Muslim community as we always have and always will.”

At least 49 people were killed and 20 seriously injured?in two mass shootings?at mosques in the New Zealand city of Christchurch.

Here’s what we know so far:

A growing number of Democratic candidates running for US President in 2020 have tweeted prayers for the victims of the attack, and condemned acts of hate and violence.

Cory Booker

John Delaney

Kamala Harris

Amy Klobuchar

Bernie Sanders

Jay Inslee

Elizabeth Warren

Beto O’Rourke

Julian Castro

Kirsten Gillibrand

Pete Buttigieg

National security advisor John Bolton expanded upon the White House’s statement on the attack on New Zealand mosques, which he characterized as “what seems to be a terrorist attack” and a “hate crime.”

Bolton said the US is “very concerned” and is following the events “very closely.”?

He told reporters Friday morning:

Bolton continued, “We’re very concerned, we’re going to cooperate with New Zealand authorities to the extent we can if there’s any role we can play, but we’re obviously following the events there very closely.”

US President Donald Trump has tweeted in response to the attack.

His message follows an earlier White House statement in response to the mass shootings at New Zealand mosques that left 49 dead.

Global leaders have also been sending messages of support. “On behalf of the UK, my deepest condolences to the people of New Zealand after the horrifying terrorist attack in Christchurch,” British Prime Minister Theresa May wrote on Twitter. “My thoughts are with all of those affected by this sickening act of violence.”

“All our thoughts for the victims of heinous crimes against the mosques of Christchurch in New Zealand and for their loved ones,” French President Emmanuel Macron added.

Flowers and messages have been left outside London’s Finsbury Park Mosque, which suffered its own tragedy in 2017 when a man deliberately drove a van into pedestrians outside, killing one Muslim worshiper and injuring several others.

Speaking on CNN Talk, political commentator Ayesha Hazarika said that, as a Muslim, she is “sickened and frightened” by the attacks.

“We have a culture, a media and social media culture, that not only tolerates hatred to Muslims but celebrates it,” she said. “Shame on the people who have promoted this kind of hate.

“I have friends who have contacted me saying they’re scared to go to mosques. Today is a dark day,” said Hazarika.

Police cordon off Linwood Avenue near the Linwood mosque

Tech companies including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are responding to the attacks, one of which appeared to be live-streamed by one of the shooters.

The disturbing video, which has not been verified by CNN, purportedly shows a gunman walking into a mosque and opening fire.

Twitter has a “dedicated team in place for managing exigent and emergency situations such as this,” the company said in a statement to CNN.

Facebook is “removing any praise or support for the crime and the shooter or shooters as soon as we’re aware,” a spokesperson said.

But some experts have criticized the platforms for their response to other harmful content.

“While Google, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter all say that they’re cooperating and acting in the best interest of citizens to remove this content, they’re actually not because they’re allowing these videos to reappear all the time,” Lucinda Creighton, a senior adviser at international policy organization the Counter Extremism Project, told CNN Business.

Read more about the companies’ responses here.

France is joining countries including the UK and the US in confirming that mosques and places of worship will see increased security on Friday.

Interior Minister Christophe Castaner ?said he had asked local officials to “strengthen surveillance” at places of worship as a precaution. “Patrols will be provided in the vicinity of denominational spaces,” he wrote on Twitter.

Officials in London and police in Los Angeles, New York and Minneapolis earlier announced that they would be stepping up security at mosques.

Queen Elizabeth II, who is New Zealand’s monarch and the head of the Commonwealth, has released a message to the people of the country.

She said she was “deeply saddened” by the news, and paid tribute to emergency services.

Here’s the full message:

Yousef bin Ahmad Al-Othaimeen, the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), has condemned the attacks. The OIC represents 57 nations with large or majority-Muslim populations.

Journalist Chris Lynch, host of the radio show “Canterbury Mornings” on Newstalk ZB, has described Christchurch as “eerily quiet.”

“It’s a very surreal experience,” the New Zealander told CNN.

The New Zealand flag flies at half-mast outside the Parliament building in Wellington on Friday evening.

“What many of us in Christchurch are struggling to comprehend is the graphic nature. We’ve had our experience of terrible natural disasters … but it felt like the city was starting to feel alive again. This just takes us back. We all feel deflated. We feel like our city has gone through hell again. We feel defeated.

“It [the al Noor mosque] always played an important role in the community. Every year it opens its doors to the people of Christchurch. The people are lovely, generous people. It’s not a closed-off environment. It’s a very friendly mosque, the same with the mosque in Linwood. It’s an absolute tragedy for everybody.

“It’s not usual for us to have guns. We’re a strong hunting country but that’s as far as it goes. The right to hold arms is not in our nature,” Lynch said.

Anna Coren, CNN’s International Correspondent, has described the shootings as “unprecedented.”

“New Zealand is a peaceful country,” she said. “It does not see acts of violence, extremism on its streets. This is a country in shock and shaken to its core.”

A floral tribute on Linwood Avenue in Christchurch.

Muslim community groups worldwide are reacting to the tragedy in Christchurch, sending condolences to those affected and warning of the risk of further attacks at places of worship.

“This is indeed a very sad day for all,” said I.H. Kauser, National President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Australia, in a statement. “It is crucial that at this time we all remain united against hatred, division and bigotry.”

American group Muslim Advocates said: “We are devastated. Today is a tragedy not just for Muslims, but for all people of faith and goodwill.” The group urged Muslims in the United States to stay “vigilant and strong” as they attend mosques on Friday.

“This is the most deadly Islamophobic terrorist attack we have experienced in recent times,” said Harun Khan, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain. “As the rest of us prepare to undertake our own Friday prayers today, we do so with the anxiety as to whether our mosques and communities are safe in the face of unabated Islamophobia and hostility against Muslims.”

Khan called on fellow Muslims to “resist the temptation to roll up the banners in fear,” and urged governments to step up efforts to ensure that mosques are protected.

“Police are currently in attendance at a property of Somerville Street, Dunedin,” the New Zealand force said on Twitter. Dunedin is a city near the southern tip of New Zealand, around 225 miles (362 km) from Christchurch.

“This is a location of interest in relation to the serious firearms incident in Christchurch today,” the police tweeted. “Evacuations of properties in the immediate area have taken place as a precaution.” Cordons are in place around the area.

New Zealand Police have issued an update on the shooting, confirming that a 28-year-old man has been charged with murder and will appear in the Christchurch District Court on Saturday morning. Two others remain in custody.

“There are community events planned across the country this weekend and there will be a visible Police presence at these events for safety and reassurance,” the force also said.

Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, has tweeted his condolences to the victims of the attack, and confirmed that there will be “highly visible” and armed police around mosques in the UK capital on Friday.

“I want to reassure the Muslim communities in London. I have been in touch with the Met Police. There will be highly visible policing around mosques today, as well as armed response officers, as Londoners go to pray,” he said.

London has a large Muslim community. In 2017, one person was killed and several were injured when man drove a van into pedestrians near Finsbury Park Mosque in north London.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he has asked for flags to be flown at half-mast out of respect for those killed in the attack.

“Australians stand with all New Zealanders today during this dark time where hate and violence has stolen their peace and innocence. Kia kaha (stay strong),” Morrison tweeted earlier.

“New Zealand, like Australia, is home to people from all faiths, cultures and backgrounds. There is absolutely no place in either of our countries for the hatred and intolerance that has bred this extremist, terrorist violence and we condemn it,” he added.

The New Zealand cricket team, the Black Caps, announced it would suspend its Saturday match with Bangladesh in the wake of the Christchurch terrorist attacks.

“Our heartfelt condolences go out to the families and friends of those affected by the shocking situation in Christchurch,” the team said in a statement.

Members of the Bangladesh cricket team were almost caught up in the attack. The team bus was pulling up at one of the mosques when the shooting began.

Muslim-majority nations Turkey, Malaysia and Pakistan have condemned the twin attacks on mosques in the New Zealand city of Christchurch on Friday.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the terrorist attacks were examples of “rising racism and Islamophobia.”

“On behalf of my country, I offer my condolences to the Islamic world and the people of New Zealand, who have been targeted by this deplorable act,” he said in a statement.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said he was “shocked” by the attack. “This reaffirms what we have always maintained: That terrorism does not have a religion. Prayers go to the victims and their families,” he said on his official Twitter.

In a separate statement, the Malaysian government said two of their citizens had been injured in the attack.

“Malaysia condemns in the strongest terms this senseless act of terror on innocent civilians and hopes that those responsible for this barbaric crime be brought to justice,” a statement from the foreign ministry said.

New Zealand commissioner Mike Bush said two improvised explosive devices were found on one of the attackers’ vehicles.

This was slightly different to previous statements that multiple vehicles had been found with explosives attached.

One witness, who did not want to be named, told CNN that he was driving by the mosque but pulled over to help when he saw people lying on the ground outside.

“I was driving by, I saw people lying in the ground so I pulled over and then once I got out of my truck I heard all the gunshots going off,” he said. “So I’m just trying to help them and one guy just looked like he was gone.”

He said he saw a man with a “with his 3 or 4-year-old daughter” who had been shot in the back.?

“He was screaming like get her to the hospital and the ambulance couldn’t come in until it was secured so I just got my truck and loaded up him, and his daughter, and this other guy had been shot in the leg, and took them to the hospital,” he said.?

?Armed police maintain a presence outside the Masijd Ayesha Mosque in Manurewa on March 15.

New Zealand commissioner Mike Bush said the attack was “very well-planned,” adding mosques across the country would remain under police protection for the moment.

Asked why the attackers weren’t on New Zealand watchlists, Bush said the four people in custody weren’t on any Australian security watch lists either.

At least one of the attackers has already been confirmed as an Australian citizen.

Bush wanted to commend the work of police officers who went “above and beyond” to apprehend the offenders and protect the community during the attack.

New Zealand police commissioner Mike Bush said the death toll in the two mosque attacks has increased to 49.

The vast majority, 41 people, were killed in the attack on the Deans Avenue mosque shooting, Bush said.

According to the police, one man has already been charged with murder in the wake of the terrorist attacks.

New Zealand is not used to mass shootings of the kind seen at the two mosques in Christchurch on Friday that killed at least 40 people and left 48 injured.

Until Friday, the biggest massacre in the country’s history happened 30 years ago, when a man named David Gray went on a shooting rampage, killing 13 people.

Following the attack, the nation’s gun laws – which were first passed in 1983 – came under scrutiny. The ensuing debate led to a 1993 amendment on the regulation?of?military-style semi-automatic firearms.

The country’s gun laws are still considered to be relatively relaxed compared to non-US nations – gun owners do need a license but they aren’t required to register their guns.?

While authorities do not know exactly how many legally or illegally owned firearms are currently in circulation in New Zealand, estimates put the number at about 1.2 million, according to New Zealand Police.?

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, if a person wants to buy a gun, they must be over the age of 16 and pass a police background check.?

New Zealand police officers are not routinely armed, but recent figures suggest more officers are in favor of carrying guns.?

A 2017 survey from the New Zealand Police Associated showed that that 66% of its members support arming officers, according to TVNZ.

That figure has significantly increased from a decade ago when 48% of officers supported general arming in 2008.

New Zealand also has a low murder rate, with a total of 35 homicides in 2017 – less than the number of people who died in Friday’s double mosque attack.

Melbourne, one of Australia’s largest cities, will light up in the colors of New Zealand on Friday night to remember those killed in the terrorist attacks in Christchurch.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced the move on Friday, which will include some of the city’s most recognizable landmarks including the town halls, the state library and Flinders Street Station.

“Victorians stand with Christchurch tonight, after this darkest of days. And we must all stand against the forces in our society that try and stir up animosity and anger. That try to divide us,” Andrews said on his official Twitter.

Flags will also be flown at half mast on Saturday across the city, he said.

Auckland police have confirmed that a controlled detonation carried out in central Auckland was not linked to Friday’s attack in Christchurch.

According to police Superintendent Karyn Malthus, authorities were notified of an incident where two bags were left unattended on the city’s Galway Street shortly after 5pm.

“Cordons were put in place around the immediate area as a precaution and the Defense Force was notified. A short time ago Defense Force personnel carried out a controlled explosion of the bags as a precautionary measure and the matter has been resolved,” said Malthus.

“Police can confirm the bags were not suspicious and contained scaffolding equipment,” she added.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced 40 people have been killed, and at least 20 injured, in Friday’s attacks on two Christchurch mosques. Ardern described the incident as a terrorist attack.

Here’s what we know so far:

Christchurch Hospital is treating 48 patients with gunshot wounds, ranging from young children to adults.

The injuries range from critical to minor, according to a statement from David Meates, Chief Executive of Canterbury District Health Board. Around 200 family members are on site waiting for news of loved ones.

A witness who did not want to be named told CNN that he smashed a window inside the mosque to escape. He said he was in the bathroom when multiple people began shooting.

“I turned to open the door to the toilet and they started firing and I said ‘what was going on’ and they just keep firing and firing,” he said.

“I smash the window and the firing just keep going,” he said.?

Another witness told CNN that he prayed that the gunman would “run out of bullets.”

“I was thinking that he must run out bullets you know, so what I did was basically waiting and praying to God, oh God please let this guy run out of bullets,” he said. He said a man told him to remain still when the gunman shot the man “straight in the chest.”

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the improvised explosive devices found at the scene of the attacks were attached to the gunmen’s cars.

Police had earlier announced a number of explosives had been found following the attacks, which the New Zealand military had disarmed.

She wouldn’t comment on whether or not the perpetrators had meant for it to be a suicide attack.

Asked by reporters how the attack had occurred, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the four people under arrest had not been on any security watch lists prior to the attack.

When pressed on why the intelligence services hadn’t been watching the attackers, Ardern said there were questions to be asked.

“I think we should be vigilant against the idea of extreme ideology and violent acts,” she said.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the attack appeared to be well planned and said the country had been chosen for its strong multicultural values.

“We were chosen (because) we represent diversity, kindness compassion, a home for those who share our values, refuge for those who need it and those values, I can assure you, will not and cannot be shaken by this attack,” she said.

Ardern said while the attackers may have chosen New Zealand, but “we utterly condemn and reject you.”

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has confirmed 40 people have been killed and at least 20 others injured in Friday’s mosque attacks in Christchurch.

Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said at least one of the Christchurch attackers is an Australian born citizen.

Speaking at a press conference in Sydney Friday, Morrison condemned the attackers as “extremist right wing, violent terrorists.”

“Australia and New Zealand, we’re not just allies, we’re not just partners, we’re family and as family members with our New Zealand cousins today, we grieve, we are shocked, we’re appalled, we’re outraged,” he said.

Police in Los Angeles, New York and Minneapolis have announced they will be reassessing security at mosques in both cities in the wake of the New Zealand attacks.

“There are no known credible threats to our mosques in Minneapolis and we will be providing additional patrols,” the Minneapolis police force said.

Los Angeles police said their thoughts and prayers were with those in Christchurch after the “horrific” attack and would be providing “extra patrols around mosques.”

New Zealand’s world famous All Blacks rugby team said in a statement they “stand with” Christchurch and the victims of the mosque attacks.

“Our thoughts and sympathies are with everyone affected by today’s tragedy. Stay strong. Kia Kaha,” the team said on their official Twitter.

New Zealand boxer and rugby player Sonny Bill Williams posted an emotional video to Twitter, saying he “couldn’t put into words what he was feeling right now.”

“Everyone that has been killed today in Christchurch, your families … You guys are all in paradise and I’m just deeply deeply saddened that this would happen in New Zealand,” Williams said through tears.

Rosemary Omar has been waiting for four hours close to one of the mosques for word of her son, 24-year-old Tariq.

Rosemary said she dropped her son off at the mosque then drove round the back to find a car parking space when she heard multiple gunshots ring out.

She drove back around the front of the mosque and saw “lots of bodies outside.”

“We’ve just been waiting here since just to see if our son is alright but he’s not answering his phone,” she said.

Rosemary said police have told her to wait for news of whether her son is alive or dead. “I just feel quite dead to be honest, quite numb. I don’t know,” she said.

“It just doesn’t feel real.”

So far, police have arrested four people in connection with the attack on two Christchurch mosques – three men and one woman.

In a social media post just before the attack, an account that is believed to belong to one of the attackers posted a link to an 87-page manifesto that was filled with anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim ideas and explanations for an attack. The manifesto was not signed.

TVNZ journalist Anna Burns-Francis told CNN at least one of the shooters is believed to be an Australian national, while a witness from the scene described a man “white, aged in his 30s or 40s and wearing a uniform.”

CNN has not been able to independently confirm any information about any of the attackers at this stage.

A spokeswoman for Facebook New Zealand, Mia Garlick, said videos which appeared to show the Christchurch shootings have been taken down.

“New Zealand Police alerted us to a video on Facebook shortly after the livestream commenced and we quickly removed both the shooter’s Facebook and Instagram accounts and the video,” the spokeswoman said.

The disturbing video which has not been verified by CNN, appears to show a gunman walking into the mosque and opening fire.

New Zealand police have asked social media users to not share the video which has already been distributed widely online.

The strict lockdown on Christchurch’s school has been lifted, New Zealand police announced on their social media.

“We would like to reassure members of the public that there is a large police presence in the city and the safety of the community is our priority,” the statement said.

It follows the announcement that four people have been arrested over the attack on two mosques – three men and one woman.

There is no news yet on whether the lockdown on government buildings has been lifted.

The shootings occurred on Friday – the busiest day for many mosques around the world when Muslims convene for the Friday prayer.

Many Muslims take time off of work to join their congregation and the Friday prayer normally takes place at around midday. Police said they received reports of shots fired at 1.40 p.m. local time.

Muslims across New Zealand have been advised by the authorities to avoid attending mosques today.

TVNZ journalist Anna Burns-Francis told CNN at least one of the shooters is believed to be an Australian national.

The journalist said that emergency services from across New Zealand have been sent to Christchurch to assist in the growing emergency situation.

She said TVNZ has confirmed nine deaths already although there could be many more in the two attacks. Police have not given any official numbers as yet but said it is “significant.”

“This is a deeply unsettling, disturbing attack, we’ve never witnessed anything like this before in New Zealand,” she said.

CNN has been unable to verify the nationality of the gunmen or a possible death toll.

This morning’s?mass shootings?took place in central Christchurch, close to where school children taking part in the Global Climate Strike were protesting.

The city council has advised parents to contact their staff who will take their details and check if their child is now in a civic building. They told concerned parents not to “try to come and collect your children until police say it is safe for people to come into the central city.”

Environmentalist Bill McKibben, founder of the 350.org site, noted the awful contrast between the two events on Twitter. He wrote:

Local resident Robert Weatherhead told CNN affiliate, NEWSTALK, that he took in people who escaped from the Masjid al Noor mosque on Deans Avenue.

He described the gunman as “white, aged in his 30s or 40s and wearing a uniform,” but he had not been able to ascertain what the uniform was.

Benjamin Jellie said he ran outside when he heard gunshots. Oakward Close is the Christchurch neighborhood where the Masjid al Noor mosque is located.

Mark Nichols, manager of Premium Tyres and Auto in Linwood, the location of the second mosque shooing, said a gunman ran past his shop.

New Zealand police commissioner Mike Bush said again there have been “multiple fatalities” but couldn’t say at this point how many. “It is significant,” Bush said.

Bush added the identities of all the victims weren’t known at this stage.

The New Zealand police press conference has now wrapped up. Bush said there would be more information available soon.

New Zealand police commissioner Mike Bush told reporters that there were multiple improved explosive devices attached to vehicles as part of the attack.

Bush said these had been “made safe by the defense force.”

“This goes to the seriousness of the situation,” he said.

He said that police were not assuming the situation was limited to Christchurch at this stage.

New Zealand police commissioner Mike Bush said police have arrested four people in the wake of Friday’s attacks on two Christchurch mosques.

Three of those in custody were men and one was a woman, Bush said.

New Zealand police are expected to hold a press conference in under ten minutes, but here is the information we have so far of the Friday afternoon attacks in New Zealand.

In a message posted to Facebook, Christchurch mayor Lianne Dalziel has said all government facilities remain on lockdown.

“This is still an active situation, the police are still doing everything that they can to get the situation under control,” she said.

“We’re not letting people in and we’re not letting people out,” she said.

Dalziel assured all parents whose children were inside the city’s school that they were safe.

“There’s a lot of speculation happening right now and all we can do is trust the police to do what they do best,” she said.

Journalist Chris Lynch, a radio host on New Zealand station ZB Radio, told CNN that one of the shootings had occurred at “the biggest mosque in all of Christchurch” and described it as “very peaceful.”

Lynch went on to describe how there is “literally nobody on the street” right now, adding that the scene was “quite stunning in some respects.”

He described Christchurch as a “very peaceful city” that is still getting over the devastating 6.3 magnitude earthquake that hit in 2011.

“That (earthquake) brought all the skyscraper buildings down and this is one of the reasons why people are fearful, I feel,” he told CNN.

Police has asked social media users to stop sharing graphic footage circulating online relating to the incident in Christchurch.

“We would strongly urge that the link not be shared. We are working to have any footage removed,” the New Zealand police said.

Police earlier told CNN they were “aware” of a specific video, but were unable to confirm or deny its veracity.

The disturbing video which has not been verified by CNN, purportedly shows a gunman walking into the mosque and opening fire.

CNN is choosing not to publish additional information regarding the video until more details are available.

Speaking to the media on Friday, NZ PM Jacinda Ardern said migrants and refugees could have been caught up in the attack.

“They have chosen to make New Zealand their home and it is their home. They are us,” she said.

New Zealand police are due to speak to the media in less than 10 minutes.

The Bangladesh cricket team was just pulling up at one of the two targeted mosques as the attack began, the team’s coach told CNN.

A video posted to Twitter showed the Bangladesh sportsmen walking away from the mosque as a police car heads in the opposite direction, sirens wailing.

The team were due to play against the New Zealand team in the coming week, but local media reporting the match has been cancelled.

Just 1% of New Zealand’s population of almost five million are Muslim, according to government statistics, less than 50,000 people in 2013.

“Muslims are the most rapidly growing religious group in New Zealand with the population increasing six-fold between 1991 and 2006,” according to Victoria University of Wellington research.

In comparison, New Zealand has a much higher population of Christians, including Catholics, Anglicans and Presbyterians, as well as Hindu and Buddhist citizens.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he was “horrified” by the attack on two mosques in Christchurch on Friday, adding he was following the developments.

“The situation is still unfolding but our thoughts and prayers are with our Kiwi cousins,” Morrison said on his official Twitter.

New Zealand police have warned all mosques countrywide to shut their doors due to a “very serious and tragic incident involving an active shooter.”

“One person is in custody, however, police believe there may be other offenders,” the police said on Twitter.

Police will be holding a press conference at 5 p.m. local time on Friday afternoon (12 p.m. ET).

US ambassador to New Zealand Scott Brown issued a statement in the wake of the multiple attacks on Christchurch mosques on Friday.

“We’re heartbroken over the events in Christchurch today. We stand with our Kiwi friends and neighbors and our prayers are with you. Kia kaha,” he said.

There are reports the mosque shooting may have been broadcast live on social media while it was taking place.

Police told CNN they are “aware” of the video but were unable to confirm or deny its veracity.

The disturbing video which has not been verified by CNN, purportedly shows a gunman walking into the mosque and opening fire.

CNN is choosing not to publish additional information regarding the video until more details are available.

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern held a press conference into the shooting at two mosques in Christchurch, describing it as “one of New Zealand’s darkest days.”

“What has happened here is an extraordinary and unprecedented act of violence,” she said.

Ardern said the attacker has “no place in New Zealand.”

“For now my thoughts and I’m sure the thoughts of all New Zealanders are with those who have been affected their families,” she said.

New Zealand police commissioner Mike Bush said in a Facebook video there had been “multiple fatalities, as far as we know, at two locations.”

He named the two locations as mosques in Christchurch, but added he didn’t know if there were other areas under threat.

“We are dealing with a very serious and tragic series of events,” he said. “They involve an active shooter, they involve multiple fatalities.”

Bush said they had one person in custody but didn’t know if there were other people involved.

“I want to ask anyone that was thinking of going to a mosque anywhere in New Zealand today not to go, to close your doors, until you hear from us again,” he said.

Mohan Ibn Ibrahim told CNN he was inside the mosque when the shooting began and that he heard the gunman “continuously shooting for ten to 15 minutes.”

He said the shooting began at about 1:40 p.m. local time when he heard “gunfire sound coming from the back side.”

“There is a barricade in the middle so if somebody gets inside by using the main door they have to come inside and walk maybe one minute.”

“When I heard that there is a shooting – the sound whats coming. I thought maybe it was an electrical circuit or something. But then it continuously happened.”

Ibrahim said people began running out of the mosque and he “had to jump out of the wall” to escape.

“And we are still hearing the sound of the gun, continuously shooting for ten to 15 minutes,” he said.

“I came to the street I saw one person got shot on his chest,” he said, adding that the ambulance and police then arrived on the scene.

Ibrahim said he had heard reports from a friend that a gunman had opened fire at another mosque in the area.

“They told me that five people died over there in that mosque, and I have seen with my own eyes, three people dead on the street,” he said.

“I could not contact two of my friends who are in the mosque as well.”

“Thats what I saw. Lots of police and ambulance have come, and they did not allow us to go in the mosque or to get close to it,” he said.

There are reports of multiple casualties after a shooting at a mosque in the New Zealand city of Christchurch on Friday, here is what we know so far:

New Zealand police have yet to confirm the details of the incident but said the risk remains “extremely high.”

“Police recommend that residents across Christchurch remain off the streets and indoors until further notice. Christchurch schools will be locked down until further notice,” the statement said.

According to New Zealand’s TVNZ, police are being sent to all mosques in Christchurch as a precaution.

Police have yet to confirm the details but eyewitnesses are saying there has been a serious mass shooting at a mosque in the New Zealand city.

Mohan Ibn Ibrahim told CNN he was inside the mosque when the shooting began.

“There were more than 200 people inside. The gunman came from the backside. Gunshots went on for a long time. We had to jump the wall to escape,” he said.

He told CNN that he saw several bodies lying on the ground in the mosque after the shooting had begun.

Breaking news out of New Zealand amid reports of a “serious ongoing firearms incident” in the city of Christchurch.

Police said that armed police have been deployed after receiving reports of shots fired in the city center at 1:40 p.m. local time.

Canterbury Police NZ?tweeted: “We have a critical incident in Deans Avenue Christchurch. Please avoid the area. We will give more in the near future.”

More details to come