Alleged Christchurch gunman Brenton Tarrant identified as former Grafton local
He was known within his childhood town of Grafton as someone who was dedicated to fitness and ran free athletic programs for children. But on Friday, Brenton Tarrant became known as a mass killer.
The 28-year-old, who attended Grafton High School before getting his qualifications in fitness, listened to 17th-century British military music before opening fire on a mosque in New Zealand’s south island.
Former boss Tracey Gray hired a “dedicated” Mr Tarrant to work for her as a personal trainer in 2009 for “a good number of” years at the Big River Squash and Fitness Centre before he left the small town in 2012 to "travel" before settling in New Zealand.
“Somewhere along the lines, experiences or a group have got a hold of him,” she said.
On Friday, Mr Tarrant entered two central Christchurch mosques and opened fire, killing 41 people at Masjid Al Noor in Deans Ave at 1.40pm local time, and seven at Linwood Masjid.
Mr Tarrant is believed to have livestreamed the massacre to social media with a body cam. His accounts have since been removed.
One witness told Nine News, “I could hear screaming and crying and saw some people were dropped dead”.
Last year, a message on Facebook from Mr Tarrant spoke of a trip to Pakistan, "an incredible place filled with the most earnest, kind hearted and hospitable people in the world".
"The beauty of hunza and nagar valley in autumn cannot be beat," he wrote.
But in a 37-page manifesto posted to Twitter minutes before the attack, Mr Tarrant wrote of his obsessions with racial purity, claiming the attack would “show the invaders that our lands will never be their lands”.
He also wrote that he began planning the attack “roughly two years in advance”, and chose the final location three months prior to the attack. The manifesto covered topics from taxation to white birthrates, envisaging the fall of mosques in what was one Constantinople in Turkey, while also including the Dylan Thomas poem Do not go gentle into that good night.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that the victims ranged in ages, with Police Commissioner Mike Bush confirming 49 people are dead.
Three suspects are now in custody, one of whom is Mr Tarrant.
Following the devastating events in New Zealand, NSW Police issued a statement, assuring “the public there is no ongoing or specific threat to any mosque or place of worship in Sydney or across New South Wales”.
NSW Police have increased patrols and senior officers have reached out to the community and religious leaders to provide support and reassurance.
“Everyone should continue to go about their business without fear”, the statement said.
Forty-eight people are believed to have suffered gunshot wounds, with 200 family members currently on site at Christchurch hospital.
Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs is currently working with New Zealand authorities to determine whether any Australians have been killed in the attack.
"Australians concerned for the welfare of family and friends in the area should attempt to contact them directly," a spokeswoman said.
- Any Australians who cannot get in contact with loved ones, or have fears for their safety, are urged to call DFAT’s Consular Emergency Centre on 1300 555 135 (within Australia) or +61 2 6261 3305 (from overseas).