New Zealand ‘shooter’ Brenton Tarrant is ‘good boy’ says shocked gran, 94, as mum and sister ‘go into hiding’
At least 49 people were killed and dozens injured as the gunman stormed into two Christchurch mosques
THE family of the Christchurch mosque gunman has told of their disbelief the "good boy" could have been responsible for the shooting deaths of 49 people.
Brenton Tarrant, 28, smirked and made a white power sign as he faced court over the horrific massacres - with it claimed he had been carrying five modified firearms to unleash the shooting.
The grandmother of the white supremacist today reacted with shock that he could have been involved - saying she had last seen him at Christmas time.
Joyce Tarrant, 94, said the gunman who live-streamed the massacre that killed 49 was not the grandson she knew.
she said: "It's all very shocking, especially [it being] Brenton, he's a good boy.
"He was always nice and kind and was sure to visit us twice a year."
She said the young man had visited family in Grafton, northern New South Wales, twice a year - with his mother and sister struggling with the horrific news.
It was claimed Tarrant's mother was teaching a high school class when she found out about her son's alleged involvement in the shooting.
Meanwhile, Tarrant's sister has gone into hiding after speaking to counter-terrorism police.
They are said to be in shock, but helping the police investigation.
Tarrant’s father Rodney — a bin collector and competitive athlete — died from an asbestos-related illness aged 49 when his son was finishing school.
A family photo taken in the 1990s shows Rodney holding his son next to his wife and daughter.
The Christchurch community has been left shocked by the massacre that claimed the lives of at least 49 and injured dozens. A three-year-old is among those feared dead.
It comes after the alleged gunman was revealed to have worked with kids as a fitness coach before spending two years plotting the massacres.
The white supremacist wrote a 74-page manifesto of hate in which he described himself as “just a regular man from a regular family”.
He listed Norwegian far-fight mass murderer Anders Breivik and Finsbury Park mosque attacker Darren Osborne as influences.
He was always nice and kind and was sure to visit us twice a year
Grandmother of alleged shooter
In the document entitled The Great Replacement he also claimed that white Europeans were “failing to reproduce”.
Australian Tarrant toured the Continent and Asia during seven years of travelling and became obsessed with fascist ideology.
He also visited North Korea and was snapped there with a group at the Samjiyon Grand Monument.
The twisted killer posted relentlessly on a right-wing web forum where users do not need to log in and can remain anonymous.
After leaving school with poor grades, Tarrant worked at Big River Gym in Grafton, New South Wales, between 2009 and 2011.
'SOMETHING MUST HAVE CHANGED IN HIM'
His former manager Tracey Gray said he worked hard at his personal training and never gave any hints at the horror he would be responsible for years later.
He said: “I can’t believe somebody I probably had daily dealings with and had shared conversations and interacted with would be able of something to this extreme.
“He started coming to my facility as a boy finishing school. He worked in our programme offering free training to kids in the community. He left here to go travelling.
“The fitness industry is about helping people. It’s an inclusive industry, not exclusive. We take all shapes and sizes — different people.
“He never showed any extremist tendencies in conversations I had with him. Somewhere along the lines, experiences or a group have got a hold of him.
“I think something must have changed in him during the years he spent travelling overseas.”
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New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden has vowed to change the country's gun laws in the wake of the massacre.
Speaking today, she said: "New Zealand is united in its grief and we are united in our grief.
"So I convey that message of love and support on behalf of New Zealand to all of you"
