Fifty people have been confirmed dead and dozens more wounded in a vicious attack by a white supremacist who shot up two mosques in New Zealand during Friday prayers. As the names of the victims begin to trickle out, they paint a grim picture of ordinary families ripped apart by senseless violence: a Syrian refugee who fled his war-torn country with his family; a woman who bravely protected her wheelchair-bound husband from the shooter; a new father who played ball for a local team; and toddlers who were praying with their families. The Daily Beast will be updating this list as more names are released.
Mucad Ibrahim
Mucad Ibrahim, 3
Three-year-old Mucad Ibrahim is the youngest victim in the mosque attack; his death was confirmed by local police to the Associated Press. The boy was praying at the Al Noor mosque with his father and older brother, according to the New Zealand Herald. His brother, Abdi Ibrahim, says he ran out of the mosque and straight to the hospital after he heard shots. His father, who survived, managed to avoid fatal injury by pretending he was dead. The toddler had not been seen since the attack and his family feared the worst. “We’re most likely thinking he’s one of the people who has died at the mosque,” Abdi told the website Stuff. “At this stage everyone’s saying he’s dead. It’s been pretty tough, a lot of people are ringing me asking if you need help. It’s been hard at the moment, [we’ve] never dealt with this.”
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Abdullahi Dirie, 4
The family of 4-year-old Abdullahi Dirie says the young child was also killed in the attack. His uncle Abdulrahman Hashi, 60, who ministers at the Dar Al Hijrah Mosque in Minneapolis, confirmed to The Washington Post that his young nephew was among the dead. The boy was worshiping with his father and four brothers, who all survived. “You cannot imagine how I feel,” Hashi told the Post. “He was the youngest in the family. This is a problem of extremism. Some people think the Muslims in their country are part of that, but these are innocent people.”
Sayyad Milne
Sayyad Milne, 14
The father of 14-year-old Sayyad Milne confirmed to the New Zealand Herald that the teen had died while he was holding a sign that said “Everyone love everyone.” “I’ve lost my little boy, he’s just turned 14,” John Milne said. “I haven’t heard officially yet that he’s actually passed but I know he has because he was seen.”
The grieving father, who has twin 15-year-olds, called his missing son “a brave little soldier.” “I remember him as my baby who I nearly lost when he was born. Such a struggle he’s had throughout all his life,” he said “It’s so hard to see him just gunned down by someone who didn’t care about anyone or anything.”
A family relative, Brydie Henry, earlier told the Herald that the boy had been seen “lying on the floor of the bloody mosque, bleeding from his lower body.” She added that he was “a regular, typical, Kiwi kid.”
Khaled Mustafa
Khaled Mustafa; Hazma Mustafa, 14
The refugee group Syrian Solidarity New Zealand confirmed that Syrian refugee Khaled Mustafa was killed along with his 16-year-old son, Hazma, at the Al Noor mosque. His other teenage son Zaid, who was praying with him, was badly injured, according to the group, which says Khaled and his wife and three children came to New Zealand in 2018 to escape war in Syria. Cashmere High School in Christchurch and Principal Mark Wilson said the teenage victim will be missed. “He was a great student, a compassionate young man, and despite not being here very long he had made a lot of friends.”
Haji Daoud Nabi
Haji Daoud Nabi, 71
Haji Daoud Nabi, a 71-year-old Afghan immigrant who ran Christchurch’s Afghan Association, was killed in the attack, according to his sons Omar and Yama, who spoke to reporters outside the district court.
Atta Elayyan
Atta Elayyan, 33
New Zealand news site Stuff reports that Kuwaiti national Atta Elayyan, 33, a new father who was the goalkeeper for the Canterbury men’s futsal team, also perished in the terror attack.
Naeem Rashid
Talha Rashid
Naeem Rashid, 50, Talha Rashid, 21
Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed Saturday that at least six Pakistani nationals were among the victims, including Naeem Rashid, 50, and his son Talha. Naeem reportedly tried to wrest the gun from the shooter’s hand before he was fatally shot. He was a local school teacher. “He was a brave person, and I’ve heard from a few people there... they’ve said he saved a few lives there by trying to stop that guy,” Rashid’s brother Khurshid Alam told the BBC.
Syed Jahandad Ali, 34
Syed Jahandad Ali, 34, was also confirmed dead by the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ali’s wife, Amma, told the website Stuff that she had last spoken to her husband Friday morning while eating breakfast.
Syed Areeb Ahmed, 27
Shortly after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the death of Syed Areeb Ahmed, the 27-year old was mourned on Facebook. “My Beloved cousin ‘Syed Areeb Ahmed’ has been decalred (sic) ‘Shaheed’ in the Christchurch Terror Attack,” one user wrote. “May Allah give him the highest place in Jannah.” GeoNews reports that Ahmed lived in Karachi, Pakistan, where he worked as an accountant, and that he had traveled to New Zealand for work. He was reportedly his parents’ only son.
Zeeshan Raza, Ghulam Hussain, Karam Bibi
The Pakistani government confirmed three more deaths Sunday: Zeeshan Raza; his father, Ghulam Hussain; and his mother, Karam Bibi. Stuff reports that Raza was a mechanical engineer who moved to New Zealand last year. The family is reportedly survived by Raza’s younger sister.
Sohail Shahid, Mahboob Haroon
Sohail Shahid and Mahboob Haroon were also confirmed dead by the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs. No further details were available.
Husne Ara Parvin
Husne Ara Parvin, 42
One of the few women so far who is said to have died in the twin attacks, Husne Ara Parvin, 42, was allegedly shot as she tried to protect her wheelchair-bound husband, Farid Uddin, who survived, according to The Daily Star. She had left the mosque area for men, where the attack occurred, to pray in the women’s area and ran back to protect her husband when she heard shots fired.
Ali Elmadani, 66
The daughter of Palestinian Ali Elmadani, a retired engineer who immigrated to New Zealand from the United Arab Emirates in 1998, confirmed to the New Zealand Herald that her father was killed inside the Al Noor mosque. His wife, Nuha Assad, had earlier said her husband was missing. “I asked people on the street if I could use their phone,” she told the New Zealand website Stuff on Friday as she searched frantically for her husband. “I called my husband and he didn’t pick up, but I’m sure he didn’t want his phone at the mosque.”
Farhaj Ahsan, 31
The parents of 31-year-old Farhaj Ahsan are reportedly struggling to get visas to travel to New Zealand after reports that their son could be among the dead, according to the First Post. The engineer was living in Christchurch with his wife, 3-year-old daughter, and a 6-month-old son. Asaduddin Owaisi, president of the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen Party, tweeted Saturday to announce Ahsan’s death. “It is with a heavy heart that I have to inform that Farhaj Ahsan, one of the two Hyderabadi #ChristChurch victims has passed away,” he wrote. Ahsan’s family in Hyderabad reportedly confirmed the death to India’s NDTV. Ahsan was one of nine Indian nationals missing and unaccounted for, according to the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen group, which tweeted his photo and asked for help for his family.
Maheboob Khokhar
India’s ambassador to New Zealand said Sunday that at least five Indian nationals had been killed in the shooting, including Maheboob Khokhar. Khokhar was reportedly set to return to India on Sunday night after visiting his son, Imran. He reportedly died at the Al Noor mosque.
Ramiz Vora, Asif Vora
Ramiz Vora and his father, Asif, were also confirmed dead by India’s ambassador. Vora reportedly hailed from Gujarat, India, but lived in Christchurch; his father had reportedly come to New Zealand to visit him. He and his wife had their first child, a baby girl, just a week before the massacre.
Ansi Alibava
Ansi Alibava was also confirmed dead by India’s ambassador. The International Business Times reports that Alibava had moved to New Zealand to pursue her master’s degree in agribusiness management and was preparing to graduate in May. She was reportedly shot in the legs and died Saturday night. Her husband escaped the attack unscathed. “The life Ansi and I had together, the plans we made, the family we hoped to build here, all vanished in a moment of senseless anti-immigrant rage,” her husband told Stuff.
Ozair Kadir, 25
The Indian Social and Cultural Club - Christchurch (ISCC) described Ozair Kadir, who was confirmed dead by India’s ambassador, as an aspiring commercial pilot who was enrolled at an aviation college. “Prayers and fond memories are what we have to remember our dearly departed,” the group wrote. “You are irreplaceable to your friends and family back home. May our love, prayers and condolences comfort the family and friends during these difficult days.”
Osama Adnan, 37
A family friend wrote on Twitter that Osama Adnan, 37, had been killed. Stuff reports that Adnan, who was originally from Palestine, had been studying at the American University in Cairo and had been in the process of applying for citizenship in New Zealand. He is reportedly survived by his wife and three kids.
Musa Vali Suleman Patel, 60
A former student confirmed on Facebook that Musa Vali Suleman Patel, 60, died in the attacks. Stuff reports that Patel worked as the leader of the Fiji Muslim League and that he was visiting his son in Christchurch. “Hafiz Musa was a highly respected member of the Fiji Muslim League and served selflessly as an Imam, teacher, mentor and was much sought after as a powerful orator and speaker,” said Fiji Muslim League Lautoka branch president Naved Khan, according to Stuff.
Amjad Hamid, 57
Condolences poured in for Amjad Hamid, a cardiologist who was confirmed dead on Sunday. Hamid reportedly lived in Christchurch and worked in a nearby hospital, often bringing baklava from Christchurch to his staff at the Hāwera Hospital. Rosemary Clements, chief executive of the Taranaki District Health Board, paid tribute to Dr. Hamid in a statement: “It is with great sadness we pay our respects to Doctor Amjad Hamid,” Clements wrote, adding that “He was well liked for his kindness, compassion and sense of humour. He was a hard-working doctor, deeply committed to caring for his patients, and a thoughtful team member who was supportive of all staff.”
Hussein Al Umari, 36
The mother of 36-year-old Hussein Al Umari confirmed on Facebook on Saturday that her son had been killed in the Christchurch massacre. “It is with great sorrow we came to know our son Hussein Hazim Hussein Pasha Al-Umari is a martyr,” Janna Adnan Ezat wrote in a Facebook post cited by The National. “Our beloved son we are satisfied with you and the good deeds you have done in this life. We will miss you, in our hearts you will always stay, loved and remembered every day.” Al Umari reportedly emigrated from the United Arab Emirates to Christchurch in 1997 and visited the Al Noor mosque every Friday to pray. Ezat told The National that Al Umari had planned to meet his family for lunch after prayers.
Abdus Samad, 67
Abdus Samad was among two people of Bangladeshi origin who died in the Christchurch attacks, according to Sahahriar Alam, the country's state minister for foreign affairs. Samad was riginally from Madhur Hailla village in Bangladesh's Kurigram district. He retired as a lecturer in Bangladesh’s Agricultural Development Corporation in December 2012 and moved to New Zealand with his wife and two sons the following year, according to a family member. After obtaining citizenship in New Zealand, Samad worked as a visiting professor at the Lincoln University in Christchurch. His brother, Habibur Rahman, told Al Jazeera that Samad used to lead prayers at Al Noor mosque.
Lilik Abdul Hamid
Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that Lilik Abdul Hamid, an Indonesian citizen, died in the mosque shootings. Hamid was a popular and respected father of two who worked as an aircraft maintenance engineer for Air New Zealand, the New Zealand Herald reports. Retno Marsudi, Indonesia’s foreign minister, conveyed her condolences to Hamid’s wife, Nina Lilik Abdul Hamid, the ministry said in a statement on Saturday. “Lilik has been a valued part of our engineering team in Christchurch for 16 years... his loss will be deeply felt by the team,” said Air New Zealand chief executive officer Christopher Luxon. “... New Zealand is well known internationally for its warmth and acceptance of all people and this attack cuts to the very core of who we are.”
Matiullah Safi
Matiullah Safi was one of two men of Afghan origin who died in the attack, the Afghan Embassy in Canberra confirmed in a statement on Facebook. The embassy did not give additional details but condemned the attack as “barbaric” and said three other Afghan nationals were wounded.
Junaid Mortara, 35
Mortara was the breadwinner for his family, supporting his mother, his wife, and their three children, ages 1 to 5, according to his cousin Javed Dadabhai. Mortara had inherited his father’s convenience store, which was covered in flowers on Saturday. An avid cricket fan, the father of three would always text relatives about when Canterbury faced Auckland in cricket matches. “... He's leaving a huge void,” Dadabhai said.
Husna Ahmed, 45
Ahmed was with her husband, Farid Ahmed, when the attack happened. The couple had split up to go to the bathroom when the gunman began shooting. Despite losing his wife, Farid says he will not turn his back on his adopted home of New Zealand. “I believe that some people... are trying to break down the harmony we have in New Zealand with the diversity,” he said. “But they are not going to win. They are not going to win.”
Linda Armstrong, 65
Hannah Freeman, the niece of Linda Armstrong, confirmed the death of her aunt on Facebook in a moving tribute. “Words can’t describe my shock, repulsion and devastation at what happened in Christchurch on Friday,” she said. “The terrorist didn't just rip the soul of NZ, they ripped away a part of my family. Linda Armstrong was a very much loved Mum, Grandma, Sister, Aunty and friend to many. I’m so sorry Aunty Linda, you didn’t deserve this.”
Mohsin Al-Harbi
Mohsin Al-Harbi was confirmed dead by his family members, who said he survived the initial attack at one of the mosques but later died in the hospital. Al-Harbi reportedly worked as a water desalinator and occasionally served as a part-time imam and gave sermons at one of the mosques that was attacked. One student warmly remembered Al-Harbi sweeping the entire mosque on his own. “My father lived a full life. It was a good life,” his son told Arab News. His brother-in-law told Jordanian media that his sister, Al-Harbi’s wife, was so distressed by her husband’s death that she suffered a heart attack and is now in critical condition at Christchurch Hospital.
Tariq Omar, 24
According to CNN, Rosemary Omar dropped her son Tariq at the mosque then drove round the back to find a parking space when she heard multiple gunshots. She drove back to the front and saw what she described as “lots of bodies outside.” She confirmed her son’s death to CNN.
