Brenton Tarrant Appears Before Court in New Zealand and Smirks before Media

Brenton Tarrant- the main culprit behind the New Zealand attack and an Australian citizen appeared in a local court in Christchurch today. He’s been sent to jail till his next hearing which is on April 5 in South Island city’s high court. According to the New Zealand Herald report, Brenton Tarrant, 28, was barefoot, handcuffed and adorning a white jumpsuit. He also appeared to make a white supremacist sign with his hands.

He was escorted by two officers and when the media personnel photographed him, he smirked. He remained silent throughout his hearing and kept looking at the media in the gallery. He was charged with one count of murder however more charges are underway. He’s most likely to face further charges and his lawyer has made no application for bail. The Judge ordered that pictures of Tarrant in court must be blurred and during the hearing the courtroom was closed to the public.

Tarrant obtained a “Category A” gun in November 2017 and purchased the five weapons used in the attack, the following month. PM Jacinda Ardern said that the weapons used in the attack were two semi-automatic rifles, two shotguns and a lever action weapon.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that the country’s gun laws have to be changed. "It's the time for change," said Ardern. She had earlier called Friday’s attack as one of the "darkest days" and described the suspects as holding "extremist views" that have no place in New Zealand or the world.

The suspect live-streamed the video on Facebook and posted the lengthy manifesto online under the name Brenton Tarrant. He identified himself as a white man born in Australia and mentioned that white nationals have inspired him. The 87-page manifesto which was not signed was filled with anti-immigrant material particularly targeting the Muslim community and other explanations of the attack.

The distressing video that was quickly pulled down from all social media platforms shows the gunman entering the prayer hall and opening fire. The New Zealand Police have strictly urged people not to share the graphic video as this would cause great divisions between communities in society.

Police Commissioner Bush said, “I want to reassure all New Zealanders that we are doing absolutely everything in our power to respond to this attack, and deploying all available resources in communities across New Zealand.”