New Zealand court hears how mosque shooter planned deadly attacks

New Zealand prosecutors told a court on Monday that Christchurch mosque shooter Brenton Tarrant had meticulously planned his 15 March, 2019 attacks, which claimed 51 lives.

Below are some of the key events presented in their prosecution:

*Tarrant, an Australian, arrived in the New Zealand city of Dunedin in 2017 and applied for, and received, a firearms licence.

*Between late 2017 and early 2019, he purchased a collection of high-powered firearms with military specification sighting systems and telescopic sights. He practiced at various rifle clubs.

*He accumulated in excess of 7,000 rounds of ammunition and purchased military-style ballistic armour and tactical vests.

*Two months before the attack, on 8 Jan, 2019 Tarrant travelled from Dunedin to Christchurch for reconnaissance.

*He studied mosque layout plans and researched what would be the busiest times.

*He flew a drone over his primary target, Al Noor Mosque, and focused on the entry and exit doors.

*On the day of the attack, Tarrant sent a message to family members describing his intentions.

*He then activated a camera with a live-feed via Facebook and sent emails to parliamentary services and some media detailing specific threats.

*Tarrant launched his shooting attack on 15 March, 2019 in the early afternoon. He was detained en route to a third mosque after first attacking the Al Noor Mosque and the Linwood Islamic Centre.