Dark day that came without warning

“Beware the Ides of March,” warned the soothsayer to Julius Caesar. Caesar dismissed the warnings and was assassinated on the steps of the senate by his friend Brutus on March 15, 44BC.

More recently and closer to home, the Ides of March has a more visceral meaning.

Two years ago today, at 1.40pm, a white supremacist terrorist entered the Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch and opened fire on Muslim worshippers during their Friday prayers.

Twelve minutes later, at 1.52pm he went to the Linwood Islamic Centre and carried on his horrific spree.

Ultimately 51 people were killed, with some succumbing to their injuries later in hospital, 40 were injured. Men, women, children — in that sense he was indiscriminate.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said of the killer: “You may have chosen us, but we completely reject and condemn you.”

She described the attack as “one of New Zealand’s darkest days”.

Certainly one of the darkest days in my memory. Our newsroom reacted by jumping into action, but everyone appeared to be in shock. Terrorism? Not here.

Immediately afterwards New Zealanders came together to, in my view, unequivocally condemn the killer and reach out to the Islamic community in a way that none of us has ever seen before.

Flowers, cards, gifts and signs were placed outside mosques across the country. Flags were flown at half-mast, tributes were made and vigils were kept.

At the Tauranga Mosque, mourners placed hundreds of flowers.

Messages on cards read “United we stand with you”, “We are one community, we will not be divided” and “We are so sorry”.

In Rotorua, the Islamic Centre on Tarewa Rd was inundated with flowers and messages of support.

But there was no time for Government hand-wringing. During the aftermath, Ardern’s Cabinet moved quickly to push through controversial new gun laws, and a Royal Commission of Inquiry was initiated.

Meanwhile, the killer, who initially pleaded not guilty to the charges, changed his mind, sparing victims and their families from what could have been a long trial.

He was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. A wholly justified sentence.

Sadly, while the victims had no soothsayer to warn of the attacks, there is hope the tragedy will lead to real changes in the way we detect threats and vet people who may be at risk of radicalisation.

My heart goes out to the victims and their families as they mark this terrible day.