Brenton Tarrant: Christchurch Mosque Attacks

In the manifesto, Tarrant describes the backgrounds of his parents both economically and ethnically. According to The Australian, he was the son of a ” ­triathlon-competing father and an English-teacher mother.” Grafton residents who knew them told the Australian that Tarrant came from a “beautiful family.”

“Just a ordinary white man, 28 years old,” the manifesto explains. “Born in Australia to a working class, low income family. My parents are of Scottish, Irish and English stock. I had a regular childhood, without any great issues. I had little interest in education during my schooling, barely achieving a passing grade.” He claimed he invested in “bitconnect,” used the money to travel, and added, “I am just a regular white man, from a regular family. Who decided to take a stand to ensure a future for my people.”



According to The Sydney Morning Herald, he grew up in Grafton, Australia, where he was known for his interest in fitness. He “ran free athletic programs for children,” the newspaper reported.

Gym manager Tracey Gray, who worked with Brenton Tarrant, told ABC that he “was a very dedicated personal trainer” and she didn’t see any signs he was into firearms.

Tarrant’s father, Rodney, “died from some kind of asbestos-related illness when Tarrant was finishing high school,” ABC reported. The site reported that it’s believed Tarrant has a living sister and mother. His father died at age 49 of cancer in 2010, ABC reported.



Rodney Tarrant’s obituary describes him as “the sixth of nine children to John and Joyce Tarrant, of Great Marlow” and calls him “a dedicated family man, father of Lauren and Brenton, and a competitive athlete.” He married Sharon Fitzgerald in 1984, according to the obit. Rodney worked “on the local garbage run” and was described as having “a very friendly, gentle nature,” according to the obit. News reports say that Rodney Tarrant left his son some money.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that “he reportedly had a sizeable inheritance after his father’s death in 2011,” using it to travel the world. It was on those travels, the manifesto says, that Tarrant became radicalized by what he saw as the “decay” of European culture in the face of mass immigration.

“Recently came into contact with a bit of capital due to the passing away of my father,” the Australian says Brenton Tarrant posted on a stock forum in 2011. “Really don’t want to lose the money as he paid for it with 30+ years of his life.”



Some experts say that anti-Muslim rhetoric has been normalized by mainstream right-wing news outlets, many of which are owned by billionaire Rupert Murdoch. These publications have fomented “the kind of Islamophobic culture which makes it easier for extremists to think that they are legitimized to enact their deadly fantasies,” said Ghassan Hage, a Lebanese Australian academic at the University of Melbourne.

Australia has a history of far-right groups that have targeted immigrants and minorities. From the start of the 20th century, the country adopted a number of policies designed to exclude immigrants of non-European origin. These measures, known collectively as the White Australia policy, were fully abandoned only in 1973.



In the mid-1990s, far-right political parties such as Pauline Hanson’s One Nation were able to draw on anti-immigrant sentiment against Asians to gain a small foothold in national politics. In recent years, One Nation and other right-wing groups have gained new political relevance by pivoting to the issue of Muslim immigration from the Middle East and South Asia.

Though most of those groups focus on Australian concerns, the manifesto released by the suspect before Friday’s attack indicated that he had moved to New Zealand specifically to carry it out, suggesting it would show that Muslims were not safe “even in the remotest areas of the world.”

New Zealand will crack down on firearms ownership this week after the Christchurch mosques massacre that killed 50 people.



In stark contrast to the United States, where even the most minor curbs on gun ownership meet ferocious opposition led by the National Rifle Association, New Zealand gun owners agree action is needed.



"We want to support our government in any changes to prevent a terrorist attack from happening in New Zealand again," said Nicole McKee, secretary of the Council of Licensed Firearm Owners.



Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's government announced an immediate ban on military-style semi-automatic rifles (MSSAs) after the shooting and will put laws to parliament formalising its action on Tuesday.