New Zealand suspect faces 50 murder charges

A New Zealand judge on Friday charged the Australian man accused of carrying out two mosque shootings last month with 50 counts of murder and 39 counts of attempted murder. Brenton Harrison Tarrant, 28, appeared in court via video from a maximum security prison in Auckland, New Zealand. Tarrant, a white nationalist, is accused of opening fire in two Christchurch mosques on March 15, killing 50 people and leaving 50 others injured. Victims of the attack and their families gathered inside the court for the Friday hearing. High Court Judge Cameron Mander ordered Tarrant to undergo the normal procedure of two mental health assessments to confirm his fitness to stand trial. His next court appearance is scheduled for June 14.

The hearing comes as New Zealand lawmakers consider proposed gun reforms that would ban some semi-automatic weapons and gun accessories. The changes also include a buyback plan for all the weapons affected. The government enacted a sales ban on the weapons a few days after the shooting and plans to pass the full law next week.