Police have released an official timeline of the Christchurch terror attack, breaking down how long it took to catch the gunman.
Police Commissioner Mike Bush said it took officers 18 minutes to catch the alleged gunman, who is currently facing 50 charges of murder and 39 charges of attempted murder.
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The attack targeted the Al Noor and Linwood Ave mosques on Friday, March 15.
The timeline begins at 1:40pm on Friday, when a copy of the alleged gunman's manifesto is received by a range of people including Parliamentary Services.
"At 13.40.44 Parliamentary Services calls South Comms. I would like to thank Parliamentary Services security staff for their swift action in contacting police," Bush said.
The rest of the timeline follows below:
1:41pm - Police receive first 111 call
1:43pm - All available units en-route to Al Noor Mosque on Deans Ave
1:46pm - Armed Offenders Squad (AOS) members arrive near the scene, exit vehicle and start approaching the mosque. One member stops to assist a critically wounded victim.
Bush said at this point the alleged gunman is already leaving the area, his vehicle hidden by a bus. AOS members at the time did not know how many shooters there are and had no information that the offender had left the mosque.
1:51pm - First responders arrive at Al Noor Mosque
1:52pm - Alleged gunman arrives at Linwood Mosque
1:55pm - Alleged gunman leaves Linwood Mosque
1:56:09pm - Police receive information that shots have been fired at the Christchurch emergency department. It later transpired no shots had been fired at the hospital
1:56:25pm - A member of the public advises police officers shots have been fired in Linwood
1:57pm - Vehicle spotted by police on Brougham St - a pursuit is initiated.
1:59pm - The vehicle is stopped and the alleged gunman is apprehended and police arrive at Linwood Mosque.
There are 18 minutes between the first 111 call and the apprehension of the alleged gunman.
Police are now debriefing on the response, which will be done by an independent team, including a Queen's Counsel.
"I remain incredibly proud of the staff who responded on March 15 and I continue to receive praise and admiration from people both here and overseas for the actions of staff both on the day and in the weeks following," Bush said.
Newshub.
