‘Manifesto’ sent to New Zealand PM’s office minutes before Christchurch attack

New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern has said her office was among several recipients of a so-called manifesto by the suspected Christchurch gunman just minutes before the first shots were fired.

Ms Ardern told reporters a copy of the document was emailed to her office nine minutes before the mosque attacks began.

She said: “I was one of more than 30 recipients of a manifesto that was mailed out nine minutes before the attack took place.

“It did not include location. It did not include specific details.

“Within two minutes of receipt it was conveyed directly to parliamentary security.

“Had it provided details that could have been acted on immediately it would have been, but unfortunately there were no such details in the email.”

She added: “The fact that there was an ideological manifesto with extreme views attached to this attack is, of course, deeply disturbing.”

A 74-page manifesto, believed to have been written by suspect Brenton Tarrant, was posted online and outlined his anti-immigrant motives.

It features a series of questions and answers, and opens with one asking: “Who are you?”

The answer says: “Just a ordinary White man, 28 years old. 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.”

In the document US president Donald Trump was also described as “a symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose”.

But White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney told Fox News Sunday that it was unfair to cast the suspected gunman as a Trump supporter, adding that the gunman was a “disturbed individual” and “evil person”.