New Zealand Mosque Shootings: Nigerian Imam Recounts How He Escaped Death

Lateef Alabi (a Nigerian) the Imam of the Christchurch mosque where Friday’s mass shootings took place.

“I never thought this would happen in New Zealand, never, never, never, believe me. But it’s happened…. we just feel bad about those who have passed away … and for their families”.

The volunteer imam said he was in the middle of prayers when he saw the gunman outside the mosque. “He shot one brother coming towards the mosque; he shot him in the head. “I stopped my prayer, peeked through the window, and saw the person with a machine gun, heavily dressed.” By the time I looked on the ground and saw dead bodies I thought this is something else, this is a terrorist.”

Alabi told everyone inside to “get down”, but it wasn’t until the gunman shot someone through a side window that everyone dropped to the floor.

“The gunman ran out of bullets and dropped his gun. A man inside the mosque followed him as he left the mosque, picked up the gun and smashed it into the car windscreen as he sped off.”

Alabi returned to the mosque. “I started picking up bodies to know who was dead and who was alive.” .
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