Families and survivors had their first chance to confront the white supremacist who slaughtered 51 worshippers in a mass shooting at two New Zealand mosques as his four-day sentencing hearing began Monday. Hawes also detailed the bravery of Naeem Rashid, who was killed at the Al Noor mosque. The attacks targeting people praying at the Al Noor and Linwood mosques shocked New Zealand and prompted new laws banning the deadliest types of semi-automatic weapons. Prosecutors said that after Tarrant left the Linwood mosque he planned to drive to the town of Ashburton and attack a third mosque. Gamal Fouda, the imam of the Al Noor mosque who survived the shooting, told the court that the gunman's actions were misguided.

Source: The Star August 25, 2020 09:56 UTC