Christchurch mosque shootings

On March 15, 2019, the city of Christchurch, New Zealand, experienced two consecutive terrorist mass shootings. These attacks targeted Muslim worshippers during Friday prayers. The first attack occurred at the Al Noor Mosque in the suburb of Riccarton at 1:40 p.m. Shortly after, a second attack took place at the Linwood Islamic Centre at 1:52 p.m. These events were the deadliest in modern New Zealand history. They also represented the worst attacks ever committed by an Australian national.

The perpetrator was Brenton Tarrant, a 28-year-old man from Australia. He was motivated by white nationalism and white supremacist beliefs. He also held anti-immigrant sentiments and identified as an "ecofascist." Tarrant believed in a conspiracy theory known as the "Great Replacement." This theory claims there is a "white genocide" occurring. His actions were linked to a global rise in alt-right extremism seen since 2015.

Tarrant spent about two years planning these attacks. He chose his specific targets three months before the shootings. To prepare, he used a drone to investigate the grounds of the Al Noor Mosque. He also used the internet to find detailed floor plans and prayer schedules. He wanted to ensure he attacked when the mosques were at their busiest. He arrived in New Zealand in August 2017 and lived in Dunedin.

For his attack, Tarrant used several different firearms. Police recovered two AR-15 style rifles and two 12-gauge shotguns. He also had a .357 Magnum lever-action rifle and a .223-calibre bolt-action rifle. He purchased these weapons and over 7,000 rounds of ammunition between late 2017 and early 2019. He also illegally used high-capacity magazines to hold more bullets. His weapons and gear were covered in white writing. These markings included names of historical conflicts and white supremacist slogans. He even used a head-mounted GoPro to live-stream the first attack on Facebook.

The first attack at Al Noor Mosque lasted roughly six minutes. Tarrant arrived at 1:39 p.m. and began shooting at the entrance. He used a strobe light on his rifle to disorient the people inside. During the chaos, a worshipper named Naeem Rashid charged at the attacker. Rashid was killed, but he was posthumously awarded the New Zealand Cross for his bravery.

The second attack at the Linwood Islamic Centre involved about 100 people inside. Tarrant arrived at 1:52 p.m. and blocked the driveway with his vehicle. A worshipper named Abdul Aziz Wahabzada ran outside to confront him. Aziz threw a payment terminal at the attacker to try to stop him. Tarrant was eventually apprehended by police at 1:59 p.m. following a brief vehicle pursuit. In total, 51 people were killed and 89 others were injured.

Before the shooting began, Tarrant emailed a 74-page manifesto to many recipients. This document, titled "The Great Replacement," contained hate speech and neo-Nazi symbols. It was shared on platforms like Twitter and 8chan to spread his ideas. Because of this, New Zealand officials deemed the document "objectionable." This made it unlawful to possess or distribute the text within the country. The live-streamed nature of the attack has since inspired other copycat incidents globally.

In the aftermath, the New Zealand government took several major steps. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern called the event one of the nation's darkest days. The government established a royal commission to investigate security agencies. This commission released its findings to the public in December 2020. On March 26, 2020, Tarrant pleaded guilty to 51 counts of murder. In August 2020, he was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

To combat religious hatred, the United Nations named March 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia.