This morning, part of the world woke up to the news of what was initially reported as mass shootings in the city of Christchurch in New Zealand.
The unprecedented attacks targeted two mosques in Christchurch and left 49 people dead and at least 20 seriously injured.
The two known targets were the Masjid Al Noor in central Christchurch, and a second mosque in suburban Linwood.
Sam Clarke, a reporter with TVNZ who was inside one of the mosques during the attack, told the media that a gunman, dressed in black with a helmet carrying a machine gun, came into the back of the mosque and started firing into the people praying there.
According to the nation’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, the shootings appeared to have been a well-planned terrorist attack.
He also confirmed that two explosive devices attached to the suspected terrorists’ vehicles have successfully been disabled.
A seemingly shaken Prime Minister finished off by saying “This is, and will be, one of New Zealand’s darkest days,”.
According to the latest details, an Australian man in his late 20s has been identified as the main perpetrator in the attacks that were live streamed on Facebook.
This white Australian terrorist killed 49 Muslims at a mosque today in #New_Zealand and the media is calling him a “shooter” not a terrorist because he is not a Muslim, sadly world calls us terrorist, terrorism has no religion, no color, and no country.
#Christchurch pic.twitter.com/Qva2ucittS— Sajid Khan Afridi (@SajidKhanAfd) March 15, 2019
Four people are also currently under New Zealand’s government custody in connection with the attacks.
We shall continue to give our readers updates as soon as they stream in.