TIL Desk/World/Christchurch/ The man accused of carrying out the brutal shootings at two mosques in New Zealand’s Christchurch city that killed 51 people, on Friday pleaded not guilty on all the 92 charges levelled against him. This was the 29-year-old Australian national Brenton Tarrant’s third court appearance following New Zealand’s deadliest terrorist attacks on March 15.
Tarrant, faces one count of engaging in a terrorist act, 51 counts of murder and 40 of attempted murder for the mass shootings he allegedly committed at the Al Noor and Linwood mosques as Muslim worshipers were conducting their Friday prayer.
According to reports, Tarrant, who witnessed the proceedings through teleconference as he remains detained in a high-security prison in Auckland, appeared to smile on the screen as one of his two attorneys entered the plea on his behalf before the Christchurch High Court.
The not guilty plea was met with some gasps among the audience, which included survivors and relatives of the victims. Most of the massacre was live-streamed through Tarrant’s alleged social media accounts, imitating the style of first-person shooter videogames.
