PM: 40 Killed, 20 Hurt in NZ Mosque Shootings

3 men, 1 woman in custody
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 15, 2019 1:28 AM CDT
Updated Mar 15, 2019 2:21 AM CDT
30 Feared Dead in NZ Mosque Shootings
Police talk to witnesses near a mosque in central Christchurch, New Zealand, Friday, March 15, 2019.   (AP Photo/Mark Baker)

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has confirmed that at least 40 people were killed and 20 injured in Friday's horrific mass shootings at two mosques in Christchurch. Three men and one woman were arrested after the shootings, which Ardern described as a terrorist attack, the New Zealand Herald reports. New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush says improvised explosive devices on vehicles were found and defused after the shootings, the AP reports. He says Christchurch residents should stay off the streets until further notice, and mosques around the country should close their doors until they hear from police again.

Bush says there were some "absolute acts of bravery" involved in the arrests of the attackers. A 17-minute video posted on social media appears to show part of one attack, with the gunman driving to the Al Noor mosque in central Christchurch, entering on foot, and firing for almost two minutes before returning to his vehicle for another gun, the New York Times reports. Authorities, who urged the public not to share the "extremely distressing" video, have identified the suspect as an Australian citizen who left a 74-page anti-immigration manifesto online. (More mass shootings stories.)

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