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Hurricane Watcher @GodlessNZ

(1) Thread: Almost two hours ago at 1.40pm Friday 15 March in Christchurch, New Zealand, a gunman opened fire on people in a large mosque where up to 500 people were praying.

(I moved out of Ch-ch after the 2011 earthquakes, I am OK and thank you for thinking about me. Please pray for my fellow Kiwis of all stripes who are affected.

The wounded are being taken to hospital, which is nearby...

I am certain it will be announced that a number of people have died in the attack. I am expecting 30, maybe 50 people. *cries*

Just this morning I was saying online that NZ has been lucky so far.

The gunman is still at large. The Prime Minister will speak in about 20 minutes. Not much will be known yet.

(3) TVNZ has live coverage at the scene... sorry I don't know where you can find a live stream but there will be plenty of update on the usual media sites.

An *unconfirmed* report says 9 are dead. Let's wait for more info.

Unfortunately I have to go out to a scheduled thing but will be back within 60-90 mins.

I will have lots to say about this attack and everything later.

(4) Here's a local TV live feed. TVNZ is the state broadcaster so they have the resources to be there on scene, but be aware they're pretty biased and dishonest most of the time. So far today they are doing an excellent professional job. The other national TV network is TV3.

tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealan

(5) At least two sites were attacked. The larger mosque is downtown, the second one is in the suburb of Linwood, a poorer part of town that includes some social housing and where some of our former refugees live. There were "multiple" fatalities at both sites.

We still don't know if this attack is fully over. Kids are still locked down at school, 5.21pm.

(6) Source: NZ Police Commissioner says FOUR suspects are now in custody and they are still looking for more. 5.30pm local time

BTW he is doing a great job. As a former civilian staffer I am so proud.

(7) NZ Police chief says he understand that 3 of the currently in custody suspects are male and 1 is female.

A number of IEDs were attached to vehicles that were stopped. NZ Defence Force personnel have neutralized them. (Army base nearby + the national bomb squad was a 1 hour flight away.)

Says there have been some heroic actions by Police at the scenes. (I am never surprised by this.)

(8) This co-ordinated attack is different to the others I've studied overseas. IMO it has more in common with the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh last year than other attacks. Canada and the UK have also had attacks on mosques.

Some young relatives of mine are still inside their schools at almost 6pm. Sunset is a few hours away. I know they are and will be safe.

All will be well. For most of us.

(9) Schools and workplaces are now ending their lockdowns. Phew. I just remembered that the earthquake in 2011 was at 12.51pm on a summer's day, and this was 1.40pm on a summer's day. My adrenalin levels and feelings have mirrored those on 2/22/11. It was at about this time, 6pm that we started to not be 100% nonstop freaked out. Many in Ch-ch today have been through this before. They are hypersensitive and worn out. But they are also smart, and supportive to each other.

(10) Christchurch Airport just announced that all outgoing local/regional flights have been cancelled for tonight and tomorrow morning due to the lack of pre-flight security check staff. I assume they are busy helping with the mass incident.

The PM was in New Plymouth, a North Island city (Ch-ch is South Island). She has now arrived back in her office and will go on TV within the hour. Still no news on numbers but she says "significant" loss of life.

(11) NZ's national summer sport is cricket. Bangladesh's team were about to enter the mosque before their scheduled game tomorrow, which is now cancelled. They will fly home asap.

Our cricket team was touring in India in the 90s IIRC when their hotel was bombed.

Bangladesh is the blessed country saving a million Rohingya Muslims from Burmese murderers.

(12) A NZ rugby star, Sonny Bill Williams, who is Muslim, said in his video he heard that nearly 30 were killed, he will have heard from some of the people who were there. This sort of number aligns with what @ThomasWic told us from just the one video and, uncannily, my initial prediction from the start.

I'm sure Thomas feels the same way I do - that sometimes being right is not a good feeling. I predicted an attack in NZ sometime... stunned by how bad this one is.

(13) Now the Police are searching for others in the smaller city of Dunedin, 4 hours drive to the South of Chch. Media reporting that one of the vehicles may have been purchased there. I think there could be one or more associates there too.

Dunedin was the site of NZ's previous worst mass shooting, 13 people including a cop, killed by a hostage-taking man at the seaside hamlet of Aramoana in 1990.

The only other similar shooting was in 1997 when a psychotic man killed 6 people in a home.

(14) Oh great. The PM of Australia just called this a "right wing terrorist attack." Not helpful. These moronic losers are not right wing. They are moronic losers.

(15) "Terrorists are losers."

- President Donald J. Trump

(16) Official from the NZ PM:

At 7pm, 40 confirmed dead. More than 20 seriously injured and in hospital.

(16) NZ's national "threat level" has been lifted from low to high.

(The earlier flight cancellations I reported on were due to turbo prop aircraft not having the pre-flight checks as jets do.)

Also breaking: total of 48 people with gunshot wounds being treated

10 died at Linwood, 30 at the larger downtown mosque.

(17) The NZ PM says the suspects were not on a terror watch list. Police will update again 8-8.30am Sat (Fri in the US).

Reporters are asking her about our allies' watch lists but they ignore the fact that the 5 eyes network share intel and work together. I have no doubt that your great security services in the US, UK, CAN and AU have been working on this all day and night. So, THANK YOU.

(18) My heart goes out to the British who are waking up to the news around now. Many of them will know Christchurch people as the links are close, including among Kiwi and UK Muslims. Many of our doctors, nurses & business owners are Muslim... they have been living in NZ for around 100 years. The attacks in NZ started at around 12.40am in London. It's around 6.40am there, 7.40pm in NZ.

(19) Christchurch hospital: The 20 seriously injured are in the ER (that must be the protocol for mass incidents). All 12 operating rooms are in use (our surgeons don't get a lot of experience with GSWs but they will be doing just fine.) CHC is one of 3 tertiary care hospitals in NZ, other cases are being farmed out. I expect that AU hospitals will be involved too. Only 3 hours away by air.

Ambo chief is speaking now. He is v. proud of his 50 staff who got all 20 ambulances there within mins.

(20) The Defence Force are flying Police and others around the country in response to operational needs.

Oh great. Another winner is joining the AU PM by saying the wrong thing at this time. Paul Buchanan is an ex-spy turned "security consultant" who has used the term "white supremacy" today. He did it within the first 2 hours IIRC.

I bet he's buddies with the likes of Comey, McCabe and co. He seems just the type.

(21) Watching a very good interview with the former Mayor of Christchurch, Sir Bob Parker who helped us cope in 2011. His own home was wrecked & he stayed on air telling us to boil our water & we loved him for that.

When I get time I will find the clip for you. Parker is a former TV host and has become a true statesman. (Of course, he's a conservative.)

@GodlessNZ

Some assholes used our tiny Venice Airport to train them before they flew two planes into our side on 9/11.

I feel ya.

Stay up!

@capnjoe It makes you feel an extra level of sickened when it happens near home, doesn't it?

I will now play "Courtesy of the red, white and blue" by Toby Keith.

@GodlessNZ

I wonder if our community had any bearing on their motives?

We are largely republican. We are home to a tremendous number of veterans. Lots of big trucks, guns, and American flags. Huge American Pride.

Did we somehow add to their hatred?

@GodlessNZ

Very sad to hear this, especially after the earthquake of a few years ago. Stay safe. Rex

@GodlessNZ This was just reported. Have you heard anything similar?
BREAKING: The New Zealand Herald reports that the shooting at the second mosque was stopped by an armed Muslim who "chased the shooters and fired two shots at them as they sped off." t.co/BA2FzsXq2d

@KatieYonke sorry so busy following breaking news rn

@GodlessNZ

Just the one video shows at least 25 dead.

He stood in the middle of the room and fired several magazines into the huddled people.

He had zero situational awareness. If there had been people in the rooms that he passed, they could have knocked him down.

But they were in shock.

@ThomasWic Thank you for the info, Thomas. Your insights have been so helpful to us today. I'm sharing some of them with family and friends.

A NZ rugby star, Sonny Bill Williams, who is Muslim, said in his video he heard nearly 30 were killed, so that aligns with your estimate. He will have heard from some of the people who were there.

@GodlessNZ So grateful for your clear-headed reporting of this horror. Thank you.

@GodlessNZ so sorry to hear of this. Why any human can snap and take another humans life let alone 40 plus at once is completely beyond any understanding. I pray for those who senselessly lost their lives along with their family and friends who lives are forever altered in a very dark way. No matter left or right.....it's up or down. All lives matter and I pray for a day this sort of thing becomes a thing of the distant past.

@GodlessNZ Watching the legacy media catch up to this story and the narrative has been set: this was a “right-wing terrorist attack” because it suits their political purposes.

@GodlessNZ Prayers being said for you and your fellow NZs. ♥️🙏 I am so sorry sweetie.

@GodlessNZ I also pray for the injured, their families and all of the first responders and emergency personnel that is involved.

@GodlessNZ umm I am reading posts that are saying hus idealgy is actually left wing ??? Why do they always do this?

@inverness01 atm the only person who I believe on this matter is @ThomasWic

@GodlessNZ

I will keep NZ in my prayers. Glad that you are safe!

@GodlessNZ Thinking of you dear HW. Stay safe.