New Zealand mosque massacre suspect Brenton Tarrant flashes ‘white power’ sign in court, as PM Jacinda Ardern vows ‘gun laws will change’
- Brenton Tarrant legally bought two semi-automatic rifles, two shotguns and a lever-action rifle that were used in the attack that killed 49 Muslim worshippers
- PM Jacinda Ardern said the weapons were bought in 2017, suggested gun law changes could include a ban on semi-automatic weapons
Brenton Harrison Tarrant, the man accused of killing 49 people in two New Zealand mosques, flashed an apparent “white power” gesture on Saturday as he faced court over a massacre which prompted New Zealand’s prime minister to vow to toughen the country’s gun laws.
Jacinda Ardern said the suspected gunman, a 28-year-old Australian, obtained a “Category A” gun licence in November 2017 and began buying the five weapons used in Friday’s attacks in the southern city of Christchurch the following month.
Tarrant appeared briefly in a Christchurch court on Saturday.
Two armed guards took Tarrant into the district court. He showed no expression as Judge Paul Kellar read a single charge of murder to him.
The court appearance only lasted about a minute and he was led back out in handcuffs. He was ordered to return to court again on April 5.
Tarrant used his right hand to flash an inverted “OK” symbol, a gesture sometimes associated with support for white power.
After Tarrant left, the judge said “there is one charge of murder brought at the moment, [but] it is reasonable to assume that there will be others”.