New Zealand police said the man accused of shooting dead 51 Muslim worshippers in the Christchurch mosque attacks was formally charged with terrorism for the first time on Tuesday. In addition to the terror charge, Brenton Tarrant also faces 51 charges of murder and 40 of attempted murder over the March 15 attacks that rocked the South Pacific nation. According to a police statement, "The charge will allege that a terrorist act was carried out in Christchurch."
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has characterised the mosque killings as "a well-planned terrorist attack" since the day Tarrant, a self-described white supremacist, allegedly carried them out.
