New Zealand police confirm single gunman

New Zealand’s police chief on Monday confirmed that a single attacker staged Friday’s two shootings at mosques that killed 50 people in Christchurch. The Christchurch District Court on Saturday charged 28-year-old Australian suspect Brenton Harrison Tarrant with murder. Tarrant posted a 74-page white supremacist manifesto online describing his motives. He will likely face more charges at his next hearing, scheduled for April 5. “That doesn’t mean there weren’t possibly other people in support, and that continues to form a very, very important part of our investigation,” Police Commissioner Mike Bush said at a news conference.

The investigation involves more than 200 police officials and experts from New Zealand, the Australian Federal Police, and the FBI. Authorities left the national threat level at high to ensure that ongoing police vigilance will make “everyone feel safe,” Bush added.

David Tipple, who owns a gun store in the city, confirmed his shop sold Tarrant four of the five guns used in the attack through a “police-verified online mail order process.” The order did not include any military grade semi-automatic weapons. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the government will provide more details on proposed gun law reforms within 10 days of the attack.