Accused mosque gunman was on his way to a THIRD attack when police rammed his car and arrested him

‘We saved lives’: Accused mosque gunman was on his way to a THIRD attack when brave police rammed his car and arrested him

The accused Christchurch gunman was travelling to a third location when he was stopped by police.

Brenton Tarrant, 28, allegedly shot and killed 50 people in two shootings at mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand on Friday.

New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush said officers had identified where the shooter was head after attacks at Al Noor and Linwood mosques.

‘I’m not going to go into those details – I don’t wish to traumatise others,’ Mr Bush said.

‘That will form part of the court case, but we absolutely believe we know where the was going and we intervened on the way.’

Brave police officers rammed the gunman’s silver Subaru station wagon and arrested him after Friday’s shootings. 

‘Within 10 minutes, the armed offenders squad were on the scene ready to respond. Within 21 minutes, the person that is now in custody was arrested. 21 minutes from when we were first notified,’ Mr Bush said.

Earlier reports had stated police arrested Tarrant 36 minutes after first being notified of the shootings.

‘I have previously said the offender was in our custody within 36 minutes,’ Mr Bush said.

‘I have now been made aware that, while we had the offender in custody at the Justice Precinct within 36 minutes, it in fact only took 21 minutes from the first 111 call for the offender to be apprehended at the roadside by the two officers.’

The accused shooter was stopped by two rural police officers on Brougham Street in Christchurch.

Mr Bush said police were working to identify the bodies of those who died. 

‘Our number one priority is the victims and their families, but we do of course have other obligations,’ he said.

 ‘If we get that wrong, that is unforgiveable.

‘Not just delivering to the coroner an evidential standard for identification, we must prove for prosecution the cause of death to the satisfaction to the coroner, to the judge.

‘You cannot convict for murder without that cause of death,’ Bush said.

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