Wellington, New Zealand — The man accused of shooting dead 51 Muslim worshippers in the Christchurch mosque attacks was formally charged with terrorism for the first time on Tuesday, New Zealand police said. In addition to the terror charge, Brenton Tarrant also faces 51 charges of murder and 40 of attempted murder over the March 15 attacks. ADVERTISEMENT“The charge will allege that a terrorist act was carried out in Christchurch,” police said in a statement. Police said the decision to lay the terror charge was made after consultations with prosecutors and government legal experts. Police said they had met survivors and victims’ families on Tuesday to explain the additional charges.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer May 21, 2019 06:00 UTC