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Christchurch mosque shootings

SOLVED2019Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre, Christchurch, New Zealand3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Christchurch attack magazines duo
Christchurch attack magazines duo — Credit: Brenton Tarrant · Public domain

On 15 March 2019, two consecutive mass shootings took place during Friday prayer in Christchurch, New Zealand: first at the Al Noor Mosque in Riccarton at 1:40 p.m., then at the Linwood Islamic Centre at 1:52 p.m. In total, 51 people aged between 3 and 77 were killed — 44 at Al Noor and seven at Linwood — and 89 others were injured, 40 of them by gunfire. The perpetrator was identified as Brenton Harrison Tarrant, a 28-year-old Australian man who had lived in Dunedin since August 2017.

Tarrant live-streamed the first attack for 17 minutes on Facebook, in what is described as the first successfully live-streamed far-right terror attack, and had emailed a 74-page manifesto titled "The Great Replacement" to more than 30 recipients, including the prime minister's office, shortly before the attack began. He was armed with six firearms, including two AR-15-style rifles and two shotguns, along with illegally modified high-capacity magazines. During the attacks, worshipper Naeem Rashid confronted Tarrant at Al Noor Mosque and was killed; at Linwood, Abdul Aziz Wahabzada confronted Tarrant with an empty shotgun and a payment terminal, an act credited with disrupting further violence. Tarrant was arrested at 1:59 p.m. after police rammed his vehicle as he drove toward a third planned target, a mosque in Ashburton.

Tarrant was initially charged with murder and later faced 51 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder, and one count of engaging in a terrorist act under the Terrorism Suppression Act 2002. He initially pleaded not guilty in June 2019, but on 26 March 2020 changed his plea to guilty on all 92 charges. On 24 August 2020, Justice Cameron Mander at the Christchurch High Court sentenced Tarrant to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for each of the 51 murders, and life imprisonment for the terrorism charge and the 40 attempted murders — the first sentence of its kind in New Zealand and the country's first terrorism conviction. The judge stated that Tarrant's crimes were "so wicked that even if you are detained until you die, it will not exhaust the requirements of punishment and denunciation." In February 2026, the Court of Appeal heard and rejected as "utterly without merit" a claim by Tarrant that he had pleaded guilty under duress.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern described the attack as "one of New Zealand's darkest days" and directed that the perpetrator be rendered "nameless" in public discourse. The government banned Tarrant's manifesto, moved to restrict semi-automatic firearms through the Arms (Prohibited Firearms, Magazines, and Parts) Amendment Act 2019, and established a royal commission into the security agencies' handling of the case, which reported in late 2020. New Zealand police also arrested and prosecuted several people for distributing the live-streamed video or manifesto, including Philip Arps, who was sentenced to 21 months' imprisonment. The attack prompted the Christchurch Call, a May 2019 international summit co-hosted by Ardern and French President Emmanuel Macron aimed at curbing the spread of violent extremist content online. The United Nations later designated 15 March as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia in response to the attack.

Key facts

Victims
Naeem Rashid
Date
2019
Location
Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre, Christchurch, New Zealand
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2017-08

    Brenton Tarrant arrives in New Zealand and settles in Dunedin.

  2. 2017-11

    Tarrant is granted a firearms licence with an 'A' endorsement.

  3. 2019-01-08

    Tarrant uses a drone to survey the Al Noor Mosque and drives past the Linwood Islamic Centre.

  4. 2019-03-15

    Tarrant attacks the Al Noor Mosque (1:40 p.m.) and the Linwood Islamic Centre (1:52 p.m.) in Christchurch, killing 51 people and injuring 89; he is arrested at 1:59 p.m. while driving toward a third planned target in Ashburton.

  5. 2019-03-16

    Tarrant is arraigned in Christchurch District Court and charged with one count of murder.

  6. 2019-03-20

    Philip Arps is charged with, and pleads guilty to, distributing the objectionable livestream video.

  7. 2019-03-23

    The Chief Censor of New Zealand deems Tarrant's manifesto 'objectionable', making its possession or distribution unlawful in New Zealand.

  8. 2019-04-04

    Police increase the total charges against Tarrant to 89 (50 murder, 39 attempted murder).

  9. 2019-05-20

    A charge of engaging in a terrorist act is laid, bringing the totals to 51 murder and 40 attempted murder charges.

  10. 2019-05-15

    Ardern and French President Emmanuel Macron co-host the Christchurch Call summit in Paris.

  11. 2019-06-14

    Tarrant pleads not guilty to all charges via audio-visual link.

  12. 2020-03-26

    Tarrant changes his plea to guilty on all 92 charges.

  13. 2020-08-24

    Sentencing begins before Justice Cameron Mander at Christchurch High Court.

  14. 2020-08

    Tarrant is sentenced to life imprisonment without parole, New Zealand's first such sentence and first terrorism conviction.

  15. 2020-11-26

    The royal commission into the attacks submits its report to the government.

  16. 2020-12-07

    Details of the royal commission's report are made public.

  17. 2026-02

    The Court of Appeal hears and rejects Tarrant's claim that he pleaded guilty under duress.

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People

  • Philip Arps

    CONVICTED

    Pleaded guilty on 20 March 2019 to distributing objectionable material (the livestream video) and was sentenced in June 2019 to 21 months' imprisonment.

  • Naeem Rashid

    VICTIM

    Worshipper killed at Al Noor Mosque after confronting the gunman; posthumously awarded the Nishan-e-Shujaat and the New Zealand Cross for bravery.

  • Brenton Harrison Tarrant

    CONVICTED

    Pleaded guilty on 26 March 2020 to 51 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder, and engaging in a terrorist act; sentenced on 24 August 2020 to life imprisonment without parole.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Archival records

  • NZ PM Jacinda Ardern - Kirk HargreavesCCC

    archival location

    NZ PM Jacinda Ardern - Kirk HargreavesCCC

    Credit: Kirk Hargreaves · CC BY 4.0 · Source

  • Christchurch Mosque, New Zealand

    archival location

    Christchurch Mosque, New Zealand

    Credit: Michal Klajban · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

  • Linwood Islamic Centre, March 2020. At the time of the shootings there was a buiding at the front of the section and access was along a driveway to the left

    archival location

    Linwood Islamic Centre, March 2020. At the time of the shootings there was a buiding at the front of the section and access was along a driveway to the left

    Credit: Roger 8 Roger · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

  • Linwood Islamic Centre, March 2020

    archival location

    Linwood Islamic Centre, March 2020

    Credit: Roger 8 Roger · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

  • William Young, Patsy Reddy, Jacqui Caine

    archival location

    William Young, Patsy Reddy, Jacqui Caine

    Credit: New Zealand Government, Office of the Governor-General · CC BY 4.0 · Source

  • Brenton Tarrant in Turkiye

    unclassified

    Brenton Tarrant in Turkiye

    Credit: Automated biometric entry camera at Istanbul Airport · Public domain · Source

  • Mosque shooter sentencing 770

    archival location

    Mosque shooter sentencing 770

    Credit: Schwede66 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

  • Christchurch mosque shootings attacker route

    archival location

    Christchurch mosque shootings attacker route

    Credit: Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Attack on Christchurch Mosques · Public domain · Source

  • Christchurch attack magazines duo

    archival location

    Christchurch attack magazines duo

    Credit: Brenton Tarrant · Public domain · Source

  • Canterbury Mosque 12 June 2006 (adjusted levels)

    archival location

    Canterbury Mosque 12 June 2006 (adjusted levels)

    Credit: Abdullah@xtra.co.nz at English Wikipedia · CC0 · Source

  • Christchurch Map

    archival location

    Christchurch Map

    Credit: Partynia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

Places

Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre, Christchurch, New Zealand

-43.5329, 172.6118

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
On 15 March 2019, a gunman attacked worshippers at the Al Noor Mosque and the Linwood Islamic Centre in Christchurch, New Zealand, killing 51 people and injuring 89 others. Brenton Tarrant pleaded guilty to 51 murders, 40 attempted murders, and a terrorism charge, and was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.
Where did the shootings happen?
Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Who was convicted?
Philip Arps (Pleaded guilty on 20 March 2019 to distributing objectionable material (the livestream video) and was sentenced in June 2019 to 21 months' imprisonment.) and Brenton Harrison Tarrant (Pleaded guilty on 26 March 2020 to 51 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder, and engaging in a terrorist act; sentenced on 24 August 2020 to life imprisonment without parole.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.

Part of these collections

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Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICChristchurch mosque shootingsWikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — BBC NewsBBC News · 2026-07-07
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — The GuardianThe Guardian · 2026-07-07

Record history

First published
JUL 07, 2026