Gunman named, charged with murder for Christchurch terror shooting

CHRISTCHURCH. KAZINFORM The Christchurch District Court on Saturday named and charged with murder the main suspect accused of carrying out a shooting rampage at two local mosques the previous day which killed 49 people and left dozens injured.

Australian citizen Brenton Tarrant, 28, was remanded in custody without a plea after making his first court appearance, KYODO NEWS reports.
New Zealand Police said on Twitter that while Tarrant currently faces only one charge, further charges will be laid.

According to court documents, he faces a maximum term of life imprisonment.

Tarrant is one of three people held in custody for links to what has become New Zealand's deadliest mass shooting.

At 1:45 p.m. local time, a gunman stormed the Al Noor mosque near a park in the center of Christchurch, killing 41 people. Hundreds of people are understood to have been inside for Friday prayers.

A further seven were killed in the second attack at the Linwood mosque in a residential area about 5 kilometers from the Al Noor mosque. One person died of their injuries in hospital.

Radio New Zealand reports that 42 people remain in hospital with injuries.

Families of the victims gathered outside the courthouse on Saturday in anticipation of Tarrant's hearing, including Yaminabi Daoud, 45, who believes his father was killed at the Al Noor mosque.

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