New Zealand Mosque Shooter Visited Pakistan, Turkey, and North Korea In The 8 Years Before The Attack

Australian man Brenton Tarrant, the alleged gunman in the massacres at two mosques in Christchurch, has been remembered by residents of Grafton in regional NSW as a “relatively normal” person. 

The attacks, which took place during Friday prayers at the Masjid Al Noor mosque and Linwood Masjid left 49 dead and 48 injured about 1.40pm Friday local time. 

Forty-two people remain in hospital, including a five-year-old child. 9News has confirmed Tarrant, who grew up as a teenager in Grafton in regional NSW, was one of three men and one woman taken into custody after the attacks. 

Police have said one person has been charged with murder, another had been cleared of any involvement, and detectives were still trying to establish if the other two were lined to the attack. 

His former employer, gym manager Tracey Gray, said he worked at Big River Squash and Fitness Centre for several years as a personal trainer. 

“He was professional, he was punctual, reliable… as normal as one person to the next,” she said. “He never showed any extremes or extremist views or any crazy behaviour.” 

Ms Gray said Tarrant passionately worked in a program that offered free training to kids in the community. 

“He always seemed to embody the philosophies of the fitness industry which is that we are inclusive and we accept all shapes of sizes and all fitness abilities and we are here to help and improve and help people,” she said. 

Shortly after his father passed away from cancer at the age of 49 in 2010, Tarrant left his job at the gym to travel. 

He funded his adventures using money generated through Cryptocurrency Bitconnect. 

“He had no specific destination,” Ms Gray said. “It was my understanding he was open to see the world, to see as many places as possible. He just wanted to experience different experiences.” 

Tarrant is known to have visited Europe, South-East Asia and east Asia, embarking on a road trip through Portugal, Spain and France. 

Social media places him in Pakistan in October of last year and in North Korea, where he was photographed in a tour group visiting the Samjiyon Grand Monument.

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