A hold-up in taking patients from Al Noor Mosque to Christchurch Hospital after the March 15 attacks was partly because police headquarters was watching the terrorist's livestream - on delay.
A coronial inquest has heard they had reason to believe it was live, even though by that time the gunman was in custody.
When the terrorist was arrested after being at large for 19 minutes on March 15 he told the arresting officers there were 10 other active shooters in Christchurch.
A message that the arresting officers relayed to one of the inspectors in charge of the police response.
"The one we've got here tells us he is one of 10 shooters in Canterbury all targeting mosques. They all have military or police training," said Canterbury Police Detective Superintendent Darryl Sweeney.
Shortly after, an armed offenders squad (AOS) member waiting to get on board a helicopter, heard news of another attack.
"I received information over the main police radio and tact radio that there had been shots fired in the Deans Ave mosque again," they said.
He said 'again' as in a second gunman, and the court learned today that's because the terrorist's GoPro video of his attack was being streamed into police HQ but it was delayed. So police thought it was a live video of a further attack at Al Noor but it wasn't and he was already in custody.
Communication went out to all police radios: "Back to the mosque, heading in, main carpark, armed, weapons up, active shooting into the mosque front entrance."
David Boldt, the counsel assisting the Coroner, asked Det Supt Sweeney if there were better ways he could have handled that.
"Believe me I've reflected on it," he said.
"I would have liked to have done it better but I think if it came to me again, cause it could be live, you'd go again."
The delay prevented first responders from getting to the injured inside Al Noor mosque because AOS needed to check it for a second shooter.
The AOS member tasked with that described the unimaginable scene inside the main prayer room.
"I could see piles of bodies in each corner," he said.
"I'm not exactly sure how many bodies there were but there appeared to be about 20 to 30 piled in each corner... and the majority to me appeared to have non-survivable injuries."
But then he announced himself to the room as being from Police.
"A number of people started moving and some hands came up through the pile of bodies," he said.
It was clear that medical need was urgent.
"I went into the hallway and advised the St John medics we needed them in the main prayer room," he said.
Both of these key members of the police response told the inquest they made the right decisions with the information they had on the day.
