Police release frightening new details in Christchurch terror attack

Police have given more details into how the attack that cost 50 lives unfolded.

They’ve given a clearer timeline from first 111 call to when the accused shooter was apprehended – and they’re convinced the gunman was on his way to a third location to kill even more people.

On Wednesday, Commissioner Mike Bush revealed police suspect the alleged killer’s deadly rampage was far from over when he was apprehended.

“We strongly believe we stopped him on the way to a further attack,” he says.

Bush won’t say where the man was headed.

“We absolutely believe we know where he was going and we intervened on the way.”

The first and most deadly attack was on the Al Noor Mosque on Deans Avenue. The gunman then drove seven kilometres to Linwood Mosque. Two police officers apprehended the alleged gunman on Brougham Street.

So what was that third target they stopped him from reaching?

In the accused gunman’s manifesto, he said it would be the Ashburton mosque, more than an hour’s drive down the southern motorway. There were 20 people at the Ashburton Mosque on Friday afternoon.

“All the people in the mosque they were very very worried and I call the police, the Ashburton Police. Yeah we were very very stressful actually,” says Mohamed Diab, Ashburton Muslim Community president.

Police have also given a new timeline of how they responded.

Police received its first 111 call at 1:41pm. The offender was apprehended at the roadside on Brougham Street 21 minutes later.

“I can tell you that within five minutes and 39 seconds, our first responders, armed on the scene, ready to respond,” Bush says.

“Within 10 minutes our armed offenders squad were on scene ready to respond, and within 21 minutes the person that is now in custody was arrested.”

The alleged gunman was in a cell at the Justice Precinct within 36 minutes of that first 111 call.

American FBI agents are working on the ground in Christchurch and in Wellington bolstered by Australian Federal Police and assistance from New Zealand’s Five Eyes partners.

“I can assure you this is an absolute international investigation,” Bush says.

The accused reportedly told his landlord in Dunedin he’d be moving out mid-March. He’s now behind bars.

Source: Newshub