Crouching next to a sea of floral tributes with his young children by his side, a man covers his face and quietly weeps.
His little girl, with her blonde hair bunched above a head-band bearing a yellow flower, gets up and places a bouquet.
The mourners were among thousands including schoolchildren and policemen to pay respects at two Christchurch mosques where 50 Muslims were killed in a devastating terror attack on Friday.
Pictures from outside the al-Noor and Linwood mosques show the ground barely visible underneath a mass of flowers and heartfelt messages dedicated to the victims.
Broken: Crouching next to a sea of floral tributes with his young children by his side, a man covers his face and quietly weeps next to the Al Noor mosque
Dismayed: The mourners are among thousands including schoolchildren and policemen to pay respects at two Christchurch mosques where 50 Muslims were killed in a devastating terror attack on Friday
Paying tribute: A little girl, with her blonde hair bunched above a head-band bearing a yellow flower, gets up and places a bouquet. For many, joining the vigil for the victims of the mass shooting was a much-needed opportunity to soothe their minds after a wrenching few days
On Monday evening, more than 1,000 students from rival Christchurch schools and different religions gathered in a park across from the Al Noor mosque, joining voices in a passionate display of unity. Pictured: Children place flowers
Paying respects: A Muslim man prays at a makeshift memorial near the Al Noor Mosque on Deans Road in Christchurch
Two police officers, who were among thousands of mourners, paid tribute by placing flowers outside the al-Noor mosque
Christchurch hospital said it was treating 31 victims as of Monday, nine of them in critical condition. Pictured: Police place flowers outside the al-Noor mosque
On Monday evening, more than 1,000 students from rival Christchurch schools and different religions gathered in a park across from the Al Noor mosque, joining voices in a passionate display of unity.
The students sat on the grass in the fading daylight, lifting flickering candles to the sky as they sang a traditional Maori song.
Hundreds then stood to perform an emotional, defiant haka, the famed ceremonial dance of the indigenous Maori people.
For many, joining the vigil for the victims of the mass shooting was a much-needed opportunity to soothe their minds after a wrenching few days.
Most of the students spent hours locked down in their schools on Friday as police tried to determine if any other shooters were involved in the attacks.
Those at the vigil told harrowing tales of being forced to hide under classroom tables or on a school stage behind a curtain, of being instructed not to speak, and to urinate in a bucket rather than risk leaving the classroom for a bathroom.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has said authorities hope to release all the bodies by Wednesday. Pictured: Tributes at the Botanical Gardens in Christchurch
Police said authorities are working with pathologists and coroners to complete the task as soon as they can. Pictured: Students place candles at a makeshift memorial at the Botanical Gardens in Christchurch
It come as the white supremacist accused of gunning down 50 people opted to represent himself at trial. Pictured: Members of the public place candles at a makeshift memorial at the Botanical Gardens in Christchurch, New Zealand
Ms Adern declared on Tuesday that she would do everything in her power to deny him a platform for his racist views
'I agree that it is absolutely something that we need to acknowledge, and do what we can to prevent the notoriety that this individual seeks,' Ms Ardern told reporters
Sarah Liddell, 17, said many of her peers felt intense anxiety since the attack. There was a sense of safety in coming together on Monday, she said.
'I feel like it's just really important to show everyone that one act of violence doesn't define a whole city,' she said. 'This is one of the best ways to show everyone coming together. Some schools have little funny rivalries, but in times like this we all just come together and that's all forgotten.'
The students draped a fence along the park with chains of colorful paper notes, each emblazoned with messages of love and hope and sorrow: 'You are not alone. This is your home. You are part of us. We all bleed the same colour.'
Relatives of the dead are still anxiously awaiting word on when they can bury their loved ones. Islamic tradition calls for bodies to be cleansed and buried as soon as possible after death, usually within 24 hours.
Christchurch hospital said it was treating 31 victims as of Monday, nine of them in critical condition.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has said authorities hope to release all the bodies by Wednesday.
Police said authorities are working with pathologists and coroners to complete the task as soon as they can.
'He obviously had a range of reasons for committing this atrocious terrorist attack. Lifting his profile was one of them. And that's something that we can absolutely deny him,' Ms Adern said of the alleged killer. Pictured: Tribute in the Botanical Gardens
Asked if she would like the trial to occur behind closed doors, Ardern demurred, saying that was not her decision to make. Pictured: Tribute in the Botanical Gardens
The gunman's desire for infamy was made clear by the fact that he left behind a convoluted 74-page manifesto before Friday's massacre and livestreamed footage of his attack on the Al Noor mosque. Pictured: Tribute in the Botanical Gardens
The video prompted widespread revulsion and condemnation by lawmakers and members of the public. Pictured: A man prays at the al-Noor mosque
Facebook said it removed 1.5 million videos of the shootings during the first 24 hours after the massacre
On Tuesday, Ardern expressed frustration that the video remained available online, four days after the attack
The tributes flowed as the white supremacist accused of gunning down 50 people opted
