Massacre suspect Brenton Tarrant was gun club member, dedicated to fitness training

Saturday, 16 March 2019

The man accused of New Zealand's worst terror attack once described himself online as 'just an ordinary white man'.

Brenton Harrison Tarrant was raised in Grafton, north of Sydney, which is known for its Jacaranda Festival.

Security intelligence officers are piecing together a picture of Tarrant's background that includes travelling the world and sporadically spending time in Dunedin.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern didn't name the 28-year-old on Saturday but said the alleged gunman was an Australian citizen.

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'This individual has travelled the world with sporadic periods of time spent in New Zealand.'

Ardern said despite the attacks being carried out in Christchurch, he had been based in Dunedin.

'This individual was not on the radar of either the New Zealand intelligence agencies to the Australian agencies.'

Ardern said a picture of Tarrant's background was being gathered by security authorities and said she had asked security authorities to brief her on Monday.

The prime minister also confirmed the man arrested had a firearms licence that he obtained in November 2017. He began buying firearms the following month.

The gunman was found with five firearms, including two shotguns and two semi-automatic, military-style rifles.

'My advice currently is under that gun licence he was able to legally buy the guns that he held.'

Tarrant is one of three people arrested in relation to the attacks.

Ardern said none of the group had criminal histories and were not on the radars of security intelligence.

Tarrant didn't hide his enthusiasm for guns and practised shooting at a South Otago rifle club, about 50km south of Dunedin.

A spokesman for the Bruce Rifle Club, near Milton, confirmed Tarrant was a club member.

'We are assisting [police] with their investigation,' the man said.

'He seemed a reasonably normal sort of dude.'

Life before New Zealand

Tarrant was born in Australia and attended Grafton High School in New South Wales where he obtained qualifications in fitness, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

He described himself online as 'just a ordinary white man, 28 years old. Born in Australia to a working class, low-income family'.

Tarrant also said he barely made it through school and didn't go to university as nothing interested him.

He later worked as a personal trainer.

Tracey Gray, the owner of Big River Gym in Grafton, New South Wales, said the alleged shooter worked at the gym about five or six years ago.

'He started coming to my facility as a boy that was finishing school and showed a lot of dedication to his own training. Then he went and did his personal training qualifications.'

Gray understood Tarrant was from Grafton, and his mother possibly still lives there. She believes Tarrant's father died of an asbestos-related illness and worked for the James Hardie group.

She described him as 'dedicated to his own training' but said she did not know him outside of work.

'He's worked in the fitness industry where it's about helping people. It's an inclusive industry, not an exclusive industry. We take all shapes and sizes, all different people …'

'He left here to go travelling and as far as I knew he was travelling to sort of see as much of the world as possible.'

Last year, Tarrant posted a message on Facebook, referring to a trip to Pakistan, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

'…[A]n incredible place filled with the most earnest, kind hearted and hospitable people in the world.'

Gray said she was shocked to have come into contact with someone accused of carrying out such a disturbing attack.

'… I have family in Christchurch and I can't get hold of them,' she said.