- A shooter opened fire at a mosque in Christchurch near Hagley Park
- Other locations around the city have also been targeted and Newshub has been told by police it was a multiple, simultaneous attack
- Multiple people have been killed
- Police have one individual in custody, but believe there may be other offenders
- The firearm used by the shooter at the mosque near Hagley Park was a AR-15
- All Christchurch schools have been placed into urgent lockdown, as have all central council buildings
- Students at the nearby climate march are safe and are being looked after, Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel told Newshub
4.04pm - One person is in custody, however police believe there may be other offenders. Police have confirmed there have been a number of fatalities and they are at a number of scenes.
"We understand that there will be many anxious people but I can assure New Zealanders that Police is doing all it can to resolve this incident," police said in a statement.
"We urge New Zealanders to stay vigilant and report any suspicious behaviour immediately to 111.
"We are mobilising resources nationally and support is being brought into the District.
"We are still working to resolve this incident and we continue to urge Christchurch resident to stay inside.
"We ask all mosques nationally to shut their doors, and advise that people refrain from visiting these premises until further notice."
3.59pm - Around 300 people were reportedly inside the mosque for Friday prayers.
3.27pm - An armed guard at Christchurch Hospital has told Newshub he hasn’t heard of any shooting there. The hospital remains in lockdown.
3.50pm - Newshub has been told from a source many people are dead.
3.45pm - The Guardian reports the shooting is ongoing.
"More shots have been fired in the last five minutes, according to police sources."
3.40pm - Newshub political editor Tova O'Brien says police have confirmed it was a multiple, simultaneous attack.
3.37pm - Footage from the area shows people in distress.
3.33pm - The Guardian is reporting there is a bomb in a car on Strickland St. Their reporter in Christchurch was told by two police officers the bomb is inside a beige Subaru that has crashed three kilometres from where the shootings took place.
There is a cordon in place around the car.
3:26pm - Police have tweeted another update on the situation.
3.24pm - The Prime Minister is set to hold a stand up at 4pm
3:21pm - Christchurch City Council is locking down its central city buildings.
3:16pm Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel said police are actively getting the matter under control.
"The message that I really want to get out is please stay away from the central city until further notice."
"All council buildings in the central city are in lockdown and the police are requesting all central city building owners to do the same."
"We are looking after some of the students who were on the climate rally today. They are safe here and we will keep them here until advised by the police that they can leave."
"I would have never have expected anything like this would have happened in Christchurch, I would have never like this to happen in New Zealand."
"It is a shock but I think it is really important that people stay calm, they stay away from the central city and to remind people who are in central city building, you are safer inside the buildings than you are out."
3.12pm - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has cancelled all her afternoon engagements.
3.03pm - Politicians are tweeting their shock.
2.54pm - A caller has told Newshub: "My uncle just told me… he was the last person to get out of the mosque, and he told me his shirt is full of blood. He isn't injured but he has seen many people lying on the ground and is saying so many would have died."
2.52pm - Christchurch Hospital and Outpatients is in lock-down. The public should not attend Christchurch Hospital unless it’s an emergency.
2.47pm - Reports of six people dead, three critical and three serious. Shootings are thought to have happened at two separate mosques.
2.42pm- All schools in Christchurch have been placed into lockdown. Reports of six people dead.
2.35pm- A witness has told Newshub they heard gunshots, and tried to give CPR to a person, but they died.
1.40pm - Police are attending an "evolving incident" near a mosque in Christchurch.
Armed police have been deployed, after reports of shots fired in central Christchurch at 1.40pm.
They are urging anyone in central Christchurch to stay indoors and report any suspicious activity.
Christchurch Girls School is in lockdown in response to the armed attacker.
Do you know more? Email us at news@newshub.co.nz
"I could hear a whole bunch of popping, I thought it was fireworks," said Christchurch resident Alex Hill.
"Someone said they counted 29 [shots,]" he told Newshub.
Another man told Magic Talk he saw people running out of the mosque, and that he had seen a man in military gear with a high powered gun.
"I heard what I thought was a real loud backfire of a car," the man told Magic Talk.
"And the next minute I turned to my right and just saw people running out of the mosque, and obviously just a couple of more shots and a lady fell over and then a guy in full military gear with what looked like a really high powered gun pointing down the road firing"
"Full camo gear and he didn't look like he had a care in the world"
Newshub.
