2LT International News

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand – Aftre having withstood major earthquakes in recent years, the third largest city in New Zealand is reeling again, this time after a massive and shocking mass shooting hit the city on Friday afternoon.

Dozens of people are feared to have been killed after gunmen opened fire on two mosques close to the city centre.

The entire city has gone into lockdown as improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are being retrieved and decomissioned from across the city. Many of them attached to vehicles.

One of the gunmen, understood to be an Australian, reportedly filmed the killings at the Al Noor Mosque as they occurred before posting the video on social media.

Four people have been arrested so far, 3 men and a woman.

The Police Commissioner in Christchurch Mike Bush says there have been “multiple casualties,`’ a “significant number.”

“This is absolutely tragic. So many people are affected,” he said.

“We don’t have the identities of those who have died yet because those places are in lockdown.”

The commissioner said he not could rule out other attackers still on the loose. He refused to label the killings as a terrorist attack saying the investigation into the motivation of those involved was just begining.

The lock down of schools throughout Christchurch was lifted at 5:50pm Friday.

Bush said he was aware that footage of the Al Noor Mosque shootings was on social media and police were doing everything they could to get it removed. “It shouldn’t be in the public domain,” he said.

“We are currently dealing with an unprecedented situation in New Zealand. It’s very grave, it’s very serious.”

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, according to The New Zealand Herald described Friday as  “one of New Zealand’s darkest days.”

“I’m not currently in a position to confirm the number of deaths or injuries,” she said.

“This is and will be one of New Zealand’s darkest days.”

Christchurch is New Zealand’s third-largest city after Auckland and the capital, Wellington. It is the largest city in the South Island.

Christchurch was the scene of major earthquakes between September 2010 and early 2012, during which 185 people were killed.