What we know so far
- A gunman has entered the crowded Al Noor mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand at about 1.45pm local time.
- A second shooting took place at Linwood Masjid in Christchurch suburb Linwood shortly after.
- Multiple fatalities have been confirmed by police.
- New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush confirmed that four people had been arrested in connection with the attacks.
- New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said it was "one of New Zealand's darkest days".
- Christchurch CBD and all schools are still in lockdown.
Multiple people have been killed and four people are in custody after a gunman opened fire at two mosques in New Zealand, sparking a hunt for an "active" shooter in the South Island town of Christchurch.
New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush confirmed on Friday afternoon that police had arrested four people, three men and one woman, but said he wouldn't "assume that the threat is over".
He added that he was not aware of other people being involved, but said: "we cannot assume there are not others at large".
Mr Bush also confirmed that reports of improvised explosive devices being strapped to vehicles had been deemed safe by defence force personnel.
"The multiple fatalities are, as far as we know, at two locations," he said.
According to the New Zealand Herald, between nine and 27 people have been killed.
The shooting was reportedly live-streamed by the gunman, who identified himself as Australian-born, 28-year-old "Brenton Tarrant".
The video shows the shooter driving to the mosque, exclaiming "let's get this party started", before walking up to the entrance where he begins shooting at worshippers.
After a barrage of shots, he leaves the mosque and runs outside, shooting at people on the street.
Mr Bush said police were aware of the "very disturbing" footage and were trying to remove it from the public domain.
In a 74-page manifesto setting out the reasons for the attack, reportedly authored by the shooter, he further described himself as "just an ordinary white man" from a "working class, low-income family".
Former intelligence and defence policy analyst Dr Paul G Buchanan told SBS News the shooting was "a classic case of right-wing extremism, right-wing terrorism."
He added that the manifesto, seen by SBS News, reminded him of Norweigan terrorist Anders Behring Breivik.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, speaking from New Plymouth, said it was "one of New Zealand's darkest days", describing the incidents as "an unprecedented act of violence".
Ms Ardern did not confirm the number of casualties, but said it was a "significant event".
"The people who were the subject of this attack today, New Zealand is their home. They should be safe here," she said before flying to Wellington where she will speak again following a full briefing.
Mr Bush said the casualties had not been identified.
Witnesses reported seeing a man dressed in a military-style, camouflage outfit carrying an automatic rifle entering the Masjid Al Noor Mosque in Hagley Park, where hundreds of people were praying. The second shooting took place Linwood Masjid, located on Linwood Avenue, Mr Bush confirmed.
New Zealand Police are urging anyone in the area to stay indoors and all schools have been placed in lock-down.
People have been warned to stay away from mosques throughout New Zealand until further notice.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison tweeted that he was horrified by the shooting.
"The situation is still unfolding but our thoughts and prayers are with our Kiwi cousins," he wrote on Twitter.
In a tweet, opposition leader Bill Shorten said Australia was grieving with "our brothers and sisters".
A witness who was inside the Al Noor mosque told ABC News that it was very "peaceful, calm and quiet" when the shooting started.
"I saw some people drop dead and some people were running away," he said.
Katherine Jamieson, who lives down the road from Al Noor mosque, told SBS News she saw bloodied victims in ambulances.
From lockdown, she said shaken survivors had told her how the shooting unfolded.
“There was a shooting, people came into the mosque during prayers with an automatic rifle and opened fire within the mosque during prayers," she said.
"They were devastated and terrified and I saw guys who were from the mosque covered in blood sitting in ambulances.”
Lisa Davies, in Christchurch, told the ABC "it's just a continuous stream of sirens".
"We've probably seen 10 ambulances. I've lost count of the number of police cars, but obviously all the police on these cordons are heavily armed and trying to keep the public out of the scene, keep them safe until they know exactly what's happened here, and that they've managed to apprehend the alleged gunman," she said.
A nearby business owner told stuff.co.nz that a lot of people were praying at the mosque at the time of the incident.
"I heard 20 or more gunshots I thought something happened and the people were running on the other side of Deans Avenue and now I can see so many police," the business owner said.
One man said the scene at the mosque was chaotic.
"I heard a big sound of the gun. And a second one, I ran. Lots of people were sitting on the floor. I ran behind the mosque," he told TVNZ.
"The floor. There's lots of blood on the floor, you can see when you go in."
The man, who did not give his name said he saw four people on the floor but did not see the shooter.
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