ANY AND ALL CHANCES...REGARDLESS OF THE BODY COUNT...TO FURTHER THEIR LIBERAL SOCIALIST ANTI-GUN AGENDA
New Zealand's government has agreed to reform the country's gun laws in the wake of last Friday's massacre at two mosques, in which 50 people were killed, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has confirmed.
Ardern said that the "worst act of terrorism on our shores" had exposed a range of weaknesses in New Zealand's gun laws.
Speaking after her weekly Cabinet meeting Monday evening local time, Ardern told reporters that ministers had agreed "in principle" to reform gun laws.
"Within 10 days of this horrific act of terrorism we will have announced reforms which will, I believe, make our community safer," she said.
While acknowledging that "for a short period" planned reforms might create uncertainty for some gun owners, Ardern said: "I strongly believe that the vast majority of gun owners in New Zealand will agree with the sentiment that change needs to occur."
Earlier Monday, popular New Zealand e-commerce website TradeMe ended the sale of semiautomatic guns on its online marketplace.
"We have listened to public sentiment following Friday's terrorist attack in Christchurch and decided to remove all semi-automatic firearms sales and parts associated," TradeMe wrote in a statement.
Inquiry to be launched into attack
The Prime Minister also announced that there would be an inquiry into the specific circumstances leading up to Friday's attack.
The inquiry will look into what agencies knew -- or should have known -- about the gunman's access to weapons or any impediments into the sharing of information, she said.
It will also look at the individual's travel movements, activities in New Zealand, use of social media and contact with others.
Three days after the shootings, Brenton Harris Tarrant, 28, appears to be the only person in custody who has been linked to the attack.
"We believe that there is only one attacker responsible for this horrendous event," the commissioner said, adding that it was possible the suspect still could have received support from others.
Bush said the threat level in New Zealand remained high and there would be high visibility from police and emergency service partners "for weeks to come."
Graphic video raises questions over offensive content
The attack was broadcast live on Facebook and the graphic video was copied and shared by users of the platform.
Facebook removed 1.5 million videos of the mosque attack in the first 24 hours, the social media company tweeted Sunday.
Of the 1.5 million deleted videos, Facebook said more than 1.2 million were blocked at the point of upload.
Additionally, all edited versions of the video that don't show the graphic content were also removed "out of respect for the people affected by this tragedy and the concerns of local authorities," Mia Garlick of Facebook New Zealand, said on Twitter.
Friday's video has reignited questions about how social media platforms handle offensive content, with many questioning if companies are doing enough to try to catch this type of hate-filled content.
Tarrant also sent an 87-page manifesto to Ardern minutes before the attack.
The document, also posted on social media before the shooting, was filled with anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim screeds. Authorities have declined to discuss potential motives for the attack.
Tarrant, who is facing one murder charge, made a hand gesture associated with white supremacists when he appeared in court on Saturday.
Suspect traveled to Turkey and Pakistan
Tarrant is an Australian citizen who had been living in the southern city of Dunedin, about 225 miles from Christchurch, according to Ardern. He had traveled around the world and was in New Zealand sporadically, she added.
Officials said he had no criminal history in New Zealand or Australia and had not drawn the attention of the intelligence community for extremist views.
Tarrant visited Pakistan last October and a senior Turkish official told CNN that Tarrant traveled to Turkey a number of times and spent "an extended period of time" there. Turkey is "currently investigating the suspect's movements and contacts within the country," the official told CNN. The suspect may also have traveled to other countries in Europe, Asia and Africa, the official added.
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New Zealand's government has agreed to reform the country's gun laws in the wake of last Friday's massacre at two mosques, in which 50 people were killed, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has confirmed.
Ardern said that the "worst act of terrorism on our shores" had exposed a range of weaknesses in New Zealand's gun laws.
Speaking after her weekly Cabinet meeting Monday evening local time, Ardern told reporters that ministers had agreed "in principle" to reform gun laws.
"Within 10 days of this horrific act of terrorism we will have announced reforms which will, I believe, make our community safer," she said.
While acknowledging that "for a short period" planned reforms might create uncertainty for some gun owners, Ardern said: "I strongly believe that the vast majority of gun owners in New Zealand will agree with the sentiment that change needs to occur."
Earlier Monday, popular New Zealand e-commerce website TradeMe ended the sale of semiautomatic guns on its online marketplace.
"We have listened to public sentiment following Friday's terrorist attack in Christchurch and decided to remove all semi-automatic firearms sales and parts associated," TradeMe wrote in a statement.
Inquiry to be launched into attack
The Prime Minister also announced that there would be an inquiry into the specific circumstances leading up to Friday's attack.
The inquiry will look into what agencies knew -- or should have known -- about the gunman's access to weapons or any impediments into the sharing of information, she said.
It will also look at the individual's travel movements, activities in New Zealand, use of social media and contact with others.
Three days after the shootings, Brenton Harris Tarrant, 28, appears to be the only person in custody who has been linked to the attack.
"We believe that there is only one attacker responsible for this horrendous event," the commissioner said, adding that it was possible the suspect still could have received support from others.
Bush said the threat level in New Zealand remained high and there would be high visibility from police and emergency service partners "for weeks to come."
Graphic video raises questions over offensive content
The attack was broadcast live on Facebook and the graphic video was copied and shared by users of the platform.
Facebook removed 1.5 million videos of the mosque attack in the first 24 hours, the social media company tweeted Sunday.
Of the 1.5 million deleted videos, Facebook said more than 1.2 million were blocked at the point of upload.
Additionally, all edited versions of the video that don't show the graphic content were also removed "out of respect for the people affected by this tragedy and the concerns of local authorities," Mia Garlick of Facebook New Zealand, said on Twitter.
Friday's video has reignited questions about how social media platforms handle offensive content, with many questioning if companies are doing enough to try to catch this type of hate-filled content.
Tarrant also sent an 87-page manifesto to Ardern minutes before the attack.
The document, also posted on social media before the shooting, was filled with anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim screeds. Authorities have declined to discuss potential motives for the attack.
Tarrant, who is facing one murder charge, made a hand gesture associated with white supremacists when he appeared in court on Saturday.
Suspect traveled to Turkey and Pakistan
Tarrant is an Australian citizen who had been living in the southern city of Dunedin, about 225 miles from Christchurch, according to Ardern. He had traveled around the world and was in New Zealand sporadically, she added.
Officials said he had no criminal history in New Zealand or Australia and had not drawn the attention of the intelligence community for extremist views.
Tarrant visited Pakistan last October and a senior Turkish official told CNN that Tarrant traveled to Turkey a number of times and spent "an extended period of time" there. Turkey is "currently investigating the suspect's movements and contacts within the country," the official told CNN. The suspect may also have traveled to other countries in Europe, Asia and Africa, the official added.
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