Tweet
Media captionChristchurch shootings: Flowers and Haka in tribute
Stories of heroism have emerged from the attacks at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand that left 50 people dead.
A 48-year-old Afghan man says he confronted the gunman and threw a credit card machine at him.
Two rural police officers, one of them armed only with a handgun, chased and arrested Brenton Tarrant, 28.
The suspect had explosives in his car and was planning more attacks that day, said Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
She had earlier called the killings "an act of terror" and said the bodies of those killed should be returned to relatives for burial by Wednesday.
Tributes have been paid for the victims while some 34 people remain in hospital, including a four-year-old girl who is in a critical condition.
Who are the victims?
How attacks unfolded
More about the suspect
Abdul Aziz, who left Kabul for New Zealand several years ago, said he was inside the Linwood mosque, the second target of the attacker, when he heard shouts that someone had opened fire.
When he realised the mosque was being attacked, he picked up a credit card machine and ran towards the attacker. He threw the device at the gunman when he returned to his car to pick up another weapon, and ducked between cars as the gunman opened fire on him.
Afghan refugee and local resident Abdul AzizImage copyrightAFP
Image caption
Abdul Aziz says he chased the gunman with a credit card machine
Mr Aziz, who was in the mosque with four of his children, picked up a gun that the suspect had dropped and pulled the trigger, but it was empty. He followed the attacker back inside the mosque, where he eventually confronted him again.
"When he saw me with the shotgun, he dropped the gun and ran away toward his car. I chased him," he told Reuters news agency. "He sat in his car and... I threw [the gun] through his window like an arrow. He just swore at me and took off."
Linwood's acting imam Latef Alabi told the Associated Press the death toll would have been far higher at the mosque if Mr Aziz, who said he had not feared the gunman, had not acted.
Media captionPictures on social media show an arrest being made after the New Zealand mosque shootings
Two rural community police officers who were nearby chased the attacker, blocked his car and captured him. The moment was filmed by a witness, who posted the footage on social media.
"[The officers] put New Zealand first," Ms Ardern said on Saturday, adding that they would be recognised for their bravery.
Presentational grey line
Stories of heroism have emerged from the attacks at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand that left 50 people dead.
A 48-year-old Afghan man says he confronted the gunman and threw a credit card machine at him.
Two rural police officers, one of them armed only with a handgun, chased and arrested Brenton Tarrant, 28.
The suspect had explosives in his car and was planning more attacks that day, said Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
She had earlier called the killings "an act of terror" and said the bodies of those killed should be returned to relatives for burial by Wednesday.
Tributes have been paid for the victims while some 34 people remain in hospital, including a four-year-old girl who is in a critical condition.
Who are the victims?
How attacks unfolded
More about the suspect
Abdul Aziz, who left Kabul for New Zealand several years ago, said he was inside the Linwood mosque, the second target of the attacker, when he heard shouts that someone had opened fire.
When he realised the mosque was being attacked, he picked up a credit card machine and ran towards the attacker. He threw the device at the gunman when he returned to his car to pick up another weapon, and ducked between cars as the gunman opened fire on him.
Afghan refugee and local resident Abdul AzizImage copyrightAFP
Image caption
Abdul Aziz says he chased the gunman with a credit card machine
Mr Aziz, who was in the mosque with four of his children, picked up a gun that the suspect had dropped and pulled the trigger, but it was empty. He followed the attacker back inside the mosque, where he eventually confronted him again.
"When he saw me with the shotgun, he dropped the gun and ran away toward his car. I chased him," he told Reuters news agency. "He sat in his car and... I threw [the gun] through his window like an arrow. He just swore at me and took off."
Linwood's acting imam Latef Alabi told the Associated Press the death toll would have been far higher at the mosque if Mr Aziz, who said he had not feared the gunman, had not acted.
Media captionPictures on social media show an arrest being made after the New Zealand mosque shootings
Two rural community police officers who were nearby chased the attacker, blocked his car and captured him. The moment was filmed by a witness, who posted the footage on social media.
"[The officers] put New Zealand first," Ms Ardern said on Saturday, adding that they would be recognised for their bravery.
Presentational grey line