Gunman’s chilling taunt to victims

As Anwar Alsaleh took cover at Christchurch’s Masjid Al Noor mosque, he rang emergency services pleading for help.

He was in a small bathroom washing his hands before prayer when a gunman walked in.

Alsaleh hid and tried to call the police several times while the shooting was happening, but couldn’t reach anyone.

He got through to ambulance and told them: ‘‘There’s a big massacre, please send help and call the police because they’re continuously shooting.’’

He said he heard the gunman say: ‘‘F…ing Muslims, we’re going to kill you today.’’

Injured people were heard begging people for their lives. ‘‘They shot them until they died.’’

Alsaleh said police arrived about 20 minutes after the shooting began. He was led from the building and saw several bodies, including those of women and children.

He described the actions of those involved as ‘‘worse than terrorists’’. They were cold-blooded killers.

Alsaleh moved to New Zealand from Palestine in 1996 and thought it was a safe place. He thanked the neighbours of the mosque for their support, adding: ‘‘New Zealand people are nice. I have many friends here.’’

A Jordanian man, who did not want to be named, said he moved to New Zealand seven years ago because it was a safe place to raise his children.

He was in the mosque when the gunman opened fire. ‘‘I heard ... four big bangs; I thought it was maybe fireworks because this [a shooting] never happens in New Zealand.’’

He escaped out the back door and climbed over a wall when he saw people fleeing and realised what was happening. ‘‘The shooting started slow and then it was much faster.’’

The man said he knew some of those killed. One was a Syrian refugee who came to New Zealand with his family about six months ago.

Another person who died was a Jordanian man, the former general secretary of the Canterbury Muslim Association, who ‘‘liked to serve the people and . s. . give advice.’’

A young boy, aged about 7, was also killed, he said.

‘‘It’s a tragedy for everyone. People were screaming on the floor waiting for an ambulance but the police wouldn’t allow us to go and help because it wasn’t safe.

‘‘We couldn’t do anything for our brothers.’’