A grieving man threatened 'to knife' the accused Christchurch mosque shooter as the alleged gunman faced court today.
Brenton Harrison Tarrant - a 28-year-old Australian man from Grafton NSW - briefly fronted Christchurch District Court on Saturday following a mass shooting at Al Noor and Linwood Majid mosques on Friday afternoon.
Outside of the court a crowd had gathered and one man threatened 'to knife' the accused before police restrained him.
The member of the public showed a reporter the knife and said of the mass killing, 'What the f*** has happened here?'
Breton Harrison Tarrant - a 28-year-old Australian man from Grafton NSW - briefly fronted Christchurch District Court on Saturday following a mass shooting at Al Noor and Linwood Majid mosques on Friday afternoon
Outside of the court a crowd had gathered and one man threatened 'to knife' the accused before police restrained him
Tarrant was charged with with one count of murder but police say many more charges are expected to be laid - he has been remanded in custody and his duty lawyer did not apply for bail.
A second man Daniel John Burrough, 18, has also been charged in relation to the mosque attacks but he did not appear in court.
Another man remains in custody, and police are still trying to 'build a picture of any of the individuals involved and all of their activities prior to this horrific event'.
The terrifying attack at Christchurch was live-streamed in a 17-minute video and it is reported the family of the man charged over the massacre has approached NSW Police.
'After the crime, my understanding is the family (of this man) did approach NSW Police after the incident was on TV,' Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said in Sydney on Saturday morning.
Tarrant's mother was nowhere to be seen at her Lawrence home, a 25-minute drive north of Grafton in NSW.
The commissioner will be joined by other senior police at a meeting with religious leaders at the Australian National Imams Council in the city's west.
Police Commissioner Mike Bush confirmed the death toll stands at 49, with 42 injured.
Earlier, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed two of the 36 people being treated at Christchurch Hospital were in a critical condition - a five-year-old had also been taken to Starship Hospital at Auckland.
At the same time, she vowed to strengthen gun laws in New Zealand after she said the attacker had used five firearms in the attack, including two semi-automatic weapons, two shotguns and a lever action firearm.
Tarrant was charged with with one count of murder but police say many more charges are expected to be laid - he has been remanded in custody and his duty lawyer did not apply for bail
The terrifying attack at Christchurch was live-streamed in a 17-minute video and it is reported the family of the man charged over the massacre has approached NSW Police
Friday March 15, 1.30pm local time (12.30am GMT): Gunman identifying himself as Brenton Tarrant live-streams mass shooting inside the Al Noor Mosque as Friday prayers are underway. The Bangladesh cricket team were on their way to the mosque at the time.
Another shooting takes place at a mosque in Linwood, 3.5 miles to the east.
1.40pm: Police respond to reports of shots fired in central Christchurch. People are urged to stay indoors and report any suspicious behaviour. Shortly afterwards, all schools in the city are placed into lockdown.
2.10pm: Police confirm they are attending an 'evolving situation' involving an 'active shooter'
3.30pm: Two explosive devices attached to a car are found and disarmed by a bomb squad at Strickland Street, not far from the Al Noor Mosque.
4pm: One person confirmed to be in custody. New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush says there have been 'multiple fatalities' at two locations - both mosques. Mosques across New Zealand urged to shut their doors.
4.10pm: Prime minister Jacinda Ardern calls it 'one of New Zealand's darkest days'.
5.30pm: Mr Bush says three men and one woman are in custody. Australian prime minister Scott Morrison confirms one of those arrested is Australian.
7.30pm: Ms Ardern says 40 are dead and more than 20 are seriously injured but confirms the offender is in custody
National security
