New Zealand Shooter Planned to Burn Down Mosques Where He Killed 51 People, Court Hears
EVIL PLOT
The white supremacist who killed 51 worshipers at two New Zealand mosques in March 2019 intended to burn down the mosques afterward, a prosecutor said in court Monday. New details about the horrific attacks were outlined during the first day of a four-day sentencing hearing at the Christchurch High Court. The hearing gave some families and survivors their first chance to confront the gunman.“You killed your own humanity, and I don’t think the world will forgive you for your horrible crime,” said a tearful Maysoon Salama, the mother of 33-year-old Atta Elayyan, who was killed in the attacks. The gunman, 29-year-old Australian Brenton Harrison Tarrant, pleaded guilty in March to 51 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder and one count of terrorism—the first terrorism conviction in New Zealand’s history. He showed little emotion throughout the hearing. He occasionally looked around the room, tapped his fingers, and watched survivors as they spoke.