CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand, March 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) – One day after the terror attacks on two mosques in Christchurch shocked the world, the attacker was charged with murder and New Zealand considered to change the country’s gun law.
In the meantime, people here showed great unity after the tragedy and they gradually started to recover from the horrors.
Brenton Tarrant, the attacker, appeared in the Christchurch District Court on Saturday. The 28-year-old Australian man was charged with murder.
Tarrant, in white prison suit, barefooted, handcuffed and flanked by two armed police officers, made a brief appearance in the court.
The charging document showed the maximum penalty will be life imprisonment. He will be in custody until April 5, according to the High Court in Christchurch.
Friday’s terror attacks have left 50 people dead and 48 injured. Tarrant was apprehended along with two other Australian men.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, said the country’s gun law would be changed.
“Our gun law will be changed” said Ardern, noting that the killers had legitimate gun license.
The prime minister told the public that the suspect of the deadly attacks used modified semi-automatic weapons.
Altogether five guns were discovered, two of which were semi-automatic guns. Other weapons and firearms were also retrieved by the police.S
Major public events during the weekend have all been cancelled across New Zealand after the attacks. Security has been beefed up in places like the airport.
However, just 24 hours after New Zealand’s worst ever terror attacks, the city of Christchurch has remained defiant.
Religious institutions opened their doors to all faiths, as a symbol of peace, while businesses chose to stay open as a sign of strength and the people of the garden city decided to come together in a show of unity.
Not far from the mosques where the shootings happened, people came from time to time to place flowers to express their condolences to the victims.
Christchurch Mayor, Lianne Dalziel on Saturday extended her condolences to the victims and their families.
She believed that Christchurch people will go through this together by “looking after each other … in many diverse communities in our city.”“
The horror haunted Bangladeshi national cricket team said, “We still love New Zealand,” while checking in their flight to go home at the Christchurch International Airport.
The team had gone to the Al Noor Mosque for Friday prayer in the afternoon, where the shooting spree began minutes earlier. The whole team escaped the scene, feeling frightened and frustrated.
They were due to play with New Zealand’s Black Caps near Hagley Park, located in the area where the mass shooting took place.
The test match has been called off after the terror attacks.
Mushfiqur Rahim of the Bangladeshi team offered his sincere condolences to the families of the victims.
“We still love New Zealand,” he said. As a sportsman who had previously been to New Zealand, he still held the view that “New Zealand is one of the best countries in the world.”
Following the attacks, Australia’s leaders have expressed shock and grief, offering condolences to New Zealanders.
Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, confirmed that one of the perpetrators was born in Australia and described the incident as a “vicious and callous, right-wing extremist attack.”
The Chinese community in Christchurch had stood out following Friday’s attacks, condemning terrorism and expressing their support for the victims.
The Chinese community is closely following the situation and cares about all victims, Canton Chamber of Commerce in New Zealand, an organisation of local Chinese merchants, said in a statement. The chamber has urged all its members to donate money for the victims.– NNN-AGENCIES
