Bangladesh cricketers escape New Zealand mosque shooting

TIL Desk Sports/ Bangladesh’s cricket team escaped unscathed after a gunman opened fire inside a mosque in Christchurch’s Hagley Park district in New Zealand, officials said on Friday. There were reports of armed police at a second mosque in the suburb of Linwood.

Witnesses told media that a man dressed in a military-style, camouflage outfit, and carrying an automatic rifle had started randomly shooting people in the Al Noor mosque. The Bangladesh cricket team was arriving for prayers at the mosque when the shooting occurred but all members were safe, a team coach told.

Bangladesh Cricket Board spokesman Jalal Yunus said most of the team were bussed to the mosque in Christchurch and were about to go inside when the incident happened. “They are safe. But they are mentally shocked. We have asked the team to stay confined in the hotel,” he told.