Survivors of Christchurch shootings

Brenton Tarrant, a 28-year-old Australian citizen, has been charged with murder in relation to the killings, and police have said he will face further charges.

As a heavily-armed man entered Christchurch’s al Noor mosque and began gunning down worshippers, Sardar Faisal happened to be in the bathroom, Sheikh Fahad ran and Amir Daud was just pulling up with his wife in their car, moments late for Friday prayers.

They were among the fortunate survivors of New Zealand’s worst mass-casualty shooting, which has left 50 people dead and scores wounded. Al Noor was the first of two mosques the gunman attacked. Shortly after the shooter had arrived at the building across a busy road from Christchurch’s botanical gardens, Hina Amir was pulling up to drop off her husband, Amir Daud for prayers. He had barely stepped out of the car when shots rang out, sending him leaping back into the vehicle.

“My wife said: ‘I think it’s shooting.’ I said: ‘No, that cannot happen in Christchurch, no way, it’s just an electricity short or something,'” Daud told Reuters.

Seeing people running from the mosque, Hina began manoeuvring the car around the small driveway, by which time the gunman was coming out of the building. “Suddenly we got fire from the shooter,” Daud said. A young man running toward them from the mosque was gunned down before his eyes.

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People lay flowers near Al Noor mosque in Christchurch

People lay flowers near the Al Noor mosque in central Christchurch, one of two mosques where at least 49 people died in attacks during Friday prayers.