Mosque shooter changes plea to guilty

WELLINGTON — An Australian accused of killing 51 Muslim worshippers in New Zealand’s worst mass shooting changed his plea to guilty in a surprise move on Thursday.

Brenton Tarrant, who appeared by video link, admitted to 51 charges of murder, 40 charges of attempted murder and one charge of committing a terrorist act in a hastily called Christchurch High Court hearing.

“He has been convicted of each and every one of those charges,” Presiding Judge Cameron Mander said.

“The entry of guilty pleas represents a very significant step toward bringing finality to this criminal proceeding.”

Tarrant has been in police custody since March 15 last year when he was arrested and accused of using semiautomatic weapons to target Muslims attending Friday prayers at two mosques in Christchurch. The attack was streamed live on social media.

Tarrant’s guilty plea makes a sixweek trial that was due to begin in June redundant. The court will instead move directly to sentencing Tarrant on all 92 charges. It did not provide a date for that sentencing and Tarrant was remanded in custody until May 1.

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she let out “a massive sigh of relief” when she heard of the guilty pleas.

“The whole nation, but particularly the Muslim community, has been spared a trial that could have acted as a platform,” she said.

Tarrant, who faces a lifetime prison sentence, had posted a “manifesto” on social media ahead of the attack that called immigrants “invaders” and referred to “white genocide”, a term used by white supremacists to describe the growth of minority populations.

Due to a nationwide lockdown in place for the coronavirus outbreak, Thursday’s court hearing took place with just 17 people in the courtroom, including an imam, for each of the two mosques attacked.

Sheikh Hasan Rubel, 35, who survived the attack despite being shot three times, said the guilty pleas brought both surprise and relief.

“Whenever I thought about the

court proceedings it used to affect me mentally, and I did not want to relive all of it,” he said over the phone. “Now I feel quite relieved . ... I was sure he will get whatever he deserves.”

Farid Ahmed, whose wife was killed at the Al Noor mosque, said the guilty plea was the courageous and right thing to do.

“His heart has realized what is right and he has admitted his guilt,” he said.