And for some shock personalization.

https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/christchurch-mosque-shooting-faces-victims 

I dunno how that Milo guy holds down employment, anywhere. Then again, there's probably enough people that listen to his inane dribble (same thing goes for Rush) that keep him/them in a job.

I wonder if Mike Hosking will bag the government for trying to change gun laws...or do anything about this awful event. God knows he's National all the way - but I did see Simon Bridges there at the meeting with Jacinda this afternoon at the refugee centre, so who knows.

Susan Devoy's critique against our agencies' handling/tracking of hate crimes. Well worth a read.

The NZ Herald - Christchurch mosque shootings - PM given manifesto before massacre

17 Mar, 2019 5:00am

 

The Prime Minister's Office confirmed that it received a copy of a "manifesto" from the alleged Christchurch mosque massacre gunman less than 10 minutes before the attacks began on Friday - along with about 70 others recipients. ...

 

Ardern would not be releasing its contents, the time it was received or even what was in the subject line.

 

"It does not set out what he was about to do. It was written as if it had occurred, to explain what obviously was about to play out."

 

The New York Times - Jacinda Ardern Pitched New Zealand’s Charms. Now, She Speaks of Its Pain.

March 16, 2019

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been the sunny face of New Zealand, celebrated as the nation’s youngest leader in 150 years, the one who gave birth in office and brought her baby to the floor of the United Nations.

 

At 38, she’s pitched progressive politics and her nation’s charms to Stephen Colbert and the “Today” show.

 

Vogue magazine called her the “anti-Trump.”

 

Now, with the massacre of 49 people at two mosques by a gunman espousing anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant hatred, Ms. Ardern is back in the international spotlight, but the glamour is gone.

 

Instead, she speaks for New Zealand at a moment of national pain, her vision of kindness in politics tested by the worst mass murder in her country’s modern history. ...

 

“You may have chosen us,” she said of the gunman, “but we utterly reject and condemn you.”

 

That sentiment has echoed across New Zealand in the aftermath of the shootings.

 

In a country of less than five million people, prized for its safety and natural beauty, people had the same refrain: Things like this do not happen here. ...

 

Stuff: While living in Dunedin, he said he went to the Bruce Rifle Club three times. The first two visits were to check the range out and zero a rifle. The third, in November, 2017, was a military shoot day.

"The conversations I had and the people I met literally terrified me to my core and I left early.

"The place just stunk of inadequacy compensated through use and ownership of semi automatic firearms. It was pretty f...ing disturbing."

Edited - @gzt posted as I was composing this, in that thread I've posted additional information which substantiates what the guy said to the Stuff reporter.

I posted in the firearm thread here about an ex NZDF soldier who has made some strong and very negative comments about the gun club where a terrorist and mass murderer practiced and honed his skills as killer. As far as the gun control aspects it's probably best to keep discussion in that separate thread.

Something else though, he's also made some damning comments about rednecks and anti-muslim extremism in NZ.

I expect that the reasons a mass murderer chose NZ may have been more than just "it's the last place in the world you'd expect it" in order to create maximum global impact.

Fraser Anning, who I've seen described as the "*colostomy bag of Aussie politics" gets egged in Melbourne.

 

When Senator Anning also said many of his supporters in his home state of Queensland were under 35, one person from the crowd noted that the alleged Christchurch shooter was aged 28.

 

"It's the younger generation taking up the fight", said the supporter.

 

Anning responded: "well he's obviously a little on the crazy side, but yeah."

 

* that's unfair to colostomy bags, which are useful rather than useless, and save lives rather than work to destroy them like this hideously embarrassing evil piece of scum - and every person who supports him.

Death toll has been revised up to 50 now.

Yesterday I visited the Porirua North City Mall... Saw around six or seven mob guys together buying boxes of flowers, then carrying these to their car. Seeing photos of others doing the same and heading to the Wellington Kilbirnie mosque I guess they were heading there too.

As stated many times, terrible and unbelievable day for all NZers. Will be tough for many teachers, students and schools tomorrow. Thoughts are with them all.

gulfa:

 

As stated many times, terrible and unbelievable day for all NZers. Will be tough for many teachers, students and schools tomorrow. Thoughts are with them all.

 

Ive had an email from our 15yo's school, there will be a lot of debriefing tomorrow. Im taking her and a nephew to a memorial now, it will be good for them I hope. The nephew is only 10, but his Mum has explained it to him. He wants to go.

Hi, I'm new here. But I want to express my condolences to the New Zealanders because of the terrorist attack in Christchurch. It is terrible to see these shootings of people as if in a computer game and realize that this has happened for real. Truly sorry for your loss.

It's hard to believe that this massacre isn't even 48 hours old yet.

The Washington Post - North Korea, Pakistan, Bulgaria: The unusual travels of the New Zealand shooting suspect

March 16 at 5:39 PM

In the years before Brenton Harrison Tarrant allegedly carried out the worst mass shooting in New Zealand’s modern history, the Australian citizen claims to have traveled abroad extensively - visiting the Balkans, Western Europe, Pakistan, Turkey and, even, North Korea. ...

 

He also mentions visits to Iceland, Poland, New Zealand, Argentina and Ukraine. ...

 

Bulgarian officials also said he traveled through Bosnia, Montengreo, Croatia, and Serbia in December 2016. ...

 

Is this real, or a manifesto fantasy?  😑