March 15 terrorist accidentally shot himself months before mosque attack

The white supremacist who massacred dozens of worshipers in two Christchurch mosques was treated in hospital in the months leading up to the terror attack after accidentally shooting himself.

However, medical personnel never alerted the police to his injuries.

At the time, there was no mandatory legislation on reporting gunshot wounds, but it is understood to be a recommendation from the Royal Investigative Commission on the attack, which will release its findings on Tuesday.

Dunedin doctors are also understood to have treated the Australian-born shooter, who would become New Zealand’s first convicted terrorist, for problems stemming from his use of steroids.

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The attack on Masjid An-Nur (Al Noor Mosque) and the Linwood Islamic Center on March 15, 2019, left 51 people dead and dozens more injured.

But months earlier, in mid-2018, the gunman was left with bullet fragments in his eye and leg after accidentally firing a gun while cleaning or driving it at his Dunedin home.

The terrorist had obtained his weapons license in November 2017, and at the time he shot himself, he was gathering a large cache of weapons and ammunition.

If the police had been alerted to your injuries, they may have visited your home, tested your fitness for a license and discovered the arsenal.

Things understands that the accidental shot occurred because the bullet was not in the chamber, the shooter was trying to remove it, and discharged when the firing pin connected with the bullet.

There was damage to the roof of his rental property, which later required repairs by the landlord.

The commission’s findings address the treatment he received afterward, including evidence from the medical professionals involved, and also mention that the shooter was concerned about the noise alerting neighbors.

The findings were shared with victims on Saturday before their public release Tuesday.

Some survivors are believed to be angry that the accidental shooting was not reported to police and that if the incident had been fully investigated, it could have prevented the terrorist attack.

Things reported in June that the terrorist had been mistakenly granted a firearms license due to a series of police failures.

The weapons manual used by firearms officers indicates that there would have been a reason for them to investigate that he was fit and fit to be licensed if accidental discharge injuries were reported.

Under the Health Information Privacy Code, a medical professional may share information if it is deemed “necessary to prevent or reduce a serious threat to public health or public safety, or the life or health of the person in question, or from another person. “

But it was not believed to be mandatory.

Gun laws were reformed this year to include details about health professionals who provide police reports on people unable to use firearms.

Christchurch Hospital emergency department (ED) physician Scott Pearson said he was unaware of any legal obligation for healthcare professionals to report gunshot wounds to police, but they generally did so if they believed someone was at risk.

Firearm injuries are rare, so emergency physicians have a “low threshold” for reporting such incidents to the police.

However, they typically wouldn’t report people with a full license accidentally shooting themselves while cleaning or firing a gun, unless they believe there are implications for the person’s license, he said.

It would also depend on the type of weapon involved.

In August, the terrorist became the first person in New Zealand to be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.