The second-phase inquest into the Christchurch mosque attack of March 2019 will focus on how the attacker, Brenton Tarrant, obtained his firearms licence and the adequacy of New Zealand’s gun laws prior to the massacre.
Deputy Chief Coroner Brigitte Windley will investigate whether there were errors, failures, or deficiencies in the police’s assessment process that allowed Tarrant to legally acquire firearms.
The inquiry will explore how the gunman secured a licence despite his extremist views and whether the police should have conducted a more thorough vetting process. Particular attention will be given to the role of his referees, his acquisition of high-capacity magazines, and the loophole that enabled him to convert standard rifles into military-style semi-automatic weapons.
The inquest aims to provide a clearer understanding of how the licensing laws and police procedures at the time contributed to the tragic events at Al Noor Mosque and the Linwood Islamic Centre.
Key issues include whether questions about Tarrant’s ‘political’ beliefs should have been raised during the vetting process and if more stringent checks could have prevented the attack. The inquiry, which is expected to last three weeks and include testimonies from around 15 witnesses, will also conduct a ‘counterfactual analysis’ to determine if the attack could have been avoided with different regulatory decisions.
This article was originally published by the Daily Telegraph New Zealand.
