Accused Christchurch shooter changes plea to guilty

The Australian man accused of killing 51 worshippers at two mosques in New Zealand in March last year entered a surprise guilty plea in court in Christchurch on Thursday, and admitted to all charges, media reports said. Brenton Tarrant, who appeared by video link, entered his guilty pleas at a special, hastily arranged High Court hearing in Christchurch on Thursday morning, state broadcaster TVNZ reported.

He also pleaded guilty to 40 charges of attempted murder and a terrorism charge, TVNZ said. In an attack broadcast live on Facebook, the lone gunman armed with semi-automatic weapons targeted Muslims attending Friday prayers in Christchurch on March 15, in New Zealand's worst peace time mass shooting.