New Zealand police deployed armed officers in central Christchurch on Friday after reports shots had been fired, police said, and witnesses at a mosque told media of many casualties. People in the centre of the city should stay indoors, police said. Police officials did not immediately comment on whether the incident took place in the mosque or nearby.
3.14am update: Prime Minister Jacinda Arden addresses the country
Jacinda Arden has condemned the attack and called it “one of New Zealan’s darkest days.”
She said: the perpetrator “has no place in New Zealand”.
“I’m not currently in a position to confirm casualties or injuries.” But she says it is clear so far “this is a significant event”.
“It will be one of New Zealand’s darkest days. I would describe it as an unprecedented act of violence.”
She says of the people who were attacked, “New Zealand is their home, they should have felt safe here.”
3.10am update: Police tell residents to “Close doors until you hear from us again.”
New Zealand police have confirmed one suspect is in custody following the attack.
But the situation is ongoing and an active shooter is still at large.
Commissioner Mike Bush said it was a “very serious and grave situation” and warned people not to leave their homes.
He said: “Close your doors until you hear from us again.”
3.02am update: Second shooting in linwood mosque confirmed
A second shooting an linwood mosque has been confirmed by New Zealand Police only a few streets over.
The gunman live streamed the brutal attack on Facebook and wrote a 31-page manifesto about his plans to carry out the event.
Sabir Hussain, who was inside Linwood Mosque, said he was “doing a prayer when our Imam (the leader of a mosque) said our brothers have been shot”.
Hussain went into the washroom and saw one man dead outside through the window.
He knew he “was not safe”, jumped out of the window and hid behind a fence until police arrived.
A reporter at the scene said people at the cordon were hugging as they passed through the tape. One man wearing a prayer robe was covered in blood but appeared to be uninjured.
Police have confirmed multiple fatalities at both mosques.
Follow below for live updates (all times in GMT).
2.55am update: A witness shares his experience with local media – “He did his massacre inside the mosque.”
A man who was at the mosque during the attack told news outlet TVNZ he hasn’t seen his wife, who was also in the mosque this morning, since the shooting.
The man, who is a wheelchair, gave a chilling account of the event.
He said: “It was very peaceful, calm and quiet, as it is when the sermon starts, you could hear a pin drop.
“Then suddenly the shooting started. It started in the main room.
“I was in the side room, so I didn’t see who was shooting but I saw that some people were running out to my room where I was in, I saw some people had blood on their body and some people were limping. It was at the moment I realised things were really serious.
“So I tried too get out and I pushed myself at the back where my car was, and from there I heard the shooting, it went on six minutes or more, I could hear screaming and crying, I saw some people drop dead, some people were running away, I was in a wheelchair, so I couldn’t get anywhere.
“He did his massacre inside the mosque.”
2.43am update: Local hospitals prepare for up to 50 causalities amid council building being put on lockdown
Christchurch City council said in a statement: “In response to a serious ongoing incident we’re locking down number of central city buildings, including the Civic Offices and Central Library.”
A number of local schools are also in a state of lockdown as people are urged not to travel within the vicinity of the city centre.
2.30am update: RECAP on events – witnesses tell of ‘blood everywhere’ in horror shooting
The gun attack happened at 1.40pm local time (0.40am GMT) during afternoon prayers.
Up to 300 people were inside the mosque when the shooting began according to reports.
Some members of the Bangladesh cricket team were filmed fleeing the scene.
A witness told Stuff NZ he had seen four people lying on the ground and “blood everywhere”.
The Bangladesh team’s Tamim Iqbal Khan wrote: “Entire team got saved from active shooters.
“Frightening experience and please keep us in your prayers.”