'I just want to see his face'- Family of victims wait outside Christchurch court for accused to appear

March 16, 2019

The 28-year-old Australian citizen accused of murder appears in Christchurch District Court today.

Victims family members of the terrorist attack wait outside Christchurch District Court for the 28-year-old man charged with murder to appear.

Yama Nabi and Oma Nabi are the sons of Haij Daoud Nabi who died in the Deans Ave mosque shooting.

Yama Nabi said he '"just wants to see his face".

Both Yama and Oma were running late to the mosque when the gunman entered.

“I was running 10 minutes late because I had something to do and it was me and my daughter... ...when I got there police officers were there," said Yama Nabi.

He drove from Blenheim road heading left.

"They had cordoned it so I went right around Hagley to Riccarton and I parked the car.  I was running and there was a guy that said there was a shooting at the mosque," he said.

“While I was running there was a lady being shot, a sister was shot on the footpath in the drive and a little kid aswell.

“[This is] heartless, never expected it to happen in New Zealand, New Zealand is a peaceful country," Mr Yama Nabi said.

His brother, Mr Oma Yami said his father was shot in the back.

“My father got shot in the shooting, he’s passed away, he got shot in the back.”

"He was one of the first Muslims in New Zealand, he opened the mosque on Tuam Street to help every refugee in New Zealand he gave them free stuff he gave them free clothing, he gave them free food, he went out of his way to help them he wouldn’t ask for a cent back.”

The Australian citizen accused of murder appears in Christchurch District Court today.

The court will be closed to the public due to the heightened security risk.

The 28-year-old travelled around the world and has spent some time in New Zealand.  He is not a resident of Christchurch and police focus is now on Dunedin were he was currently based.

There were also three others in custody, one was a member of the public trying to assist police but has now been released.  Enquiries are ongoing for the other two people.

During the attack five guns were used by the perpetrator who aquired a gun license in 2017.
 

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