New Zealand mosque shooting: Attacker had "kebab remover" written on gun, sported neo-nazi symbolism

Details are continuing to emerge about Brenton Tarrant, the alleged 27-year-old shooter responsible for coordinating the two attacks on mosques in Christchurch on Friday which left 49 injured and at least 20 seriously injured, and it seems he describes anti-immigrant motives, saying the victims were a "large group of invaders" who he says "seek to occupy my peoples lands and ethnically replace my own people (sic)".

In a manifesto purportedly posted by Tarrant on social media, he described himself as a "Kebab Removalist." Reports also indicate he had the words "Kebab Remover" written on his gun in reference to a viral video from the 1990s referring to the ethnic cleansing campaign that took place throughout areas controlled by the Bosnian Serbs, and which targeted Muslim Bosniaks and Bosnian Croats.

The 27-year-old also had MALTA 1565 plastered across the foregrip in reference to the Great Siege of Malta in 1656 when the Ottoman Empire tried to invade the island of Malta, then held by the Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem.

The Knights, with just 2,000 footsoldiers and 400 Maltese men, women, and children, withstood the siege and repelled the Ottomans. 

Furthermore, he also had "Miloš Obilić," "Battle of Shipka Pass," "Sigismund of Luxembourg," "Vienna 1683," "Josue Estebanez," and "Feliks Kazimierz" written on the magazines.

Each one is connected to the grand conflict between Islam and Christianity across the ages, especially the tussle between Christian Europe and Muslim Ottomans.

This symbolism could have had to do with some of the statements he made in his manifesto regarding "terrorist attacks" across Europe.

He had written that the attack was revenge for "the hundreds of thousands of deaths caused by foreign invaders in European lands," "the enslavement of millions of Europeans taken from their lands by Islamic slavers," and "the thousands of European lives lost to terror attacks."

He had also written that the shooting was to avenge "those European men and women lost in the constant and neverending wars of European history who died for their lands, died for their people only to have their lands given away to any foreign scum that bother to show up."

Pictures of his equipment show he sported dog tags with the Slavic Kolovrat — a pagan symbol of the sun similar to the swastika; a Celtic Cross — a Latin cross with a circle round the center; and a large Black Sun, all of which have been co-opted by Neo-Nazis.

While three others were apprehended in connection to the shootings, Police Commissioner Mike Bush said authorities are not certain if there aren't others involved.

"The attackers were apprehended by local police staff. There have been some absolute acts of bravery," he said. "I'm hugely proud of our police staff, the way they responded to this. But let's not presume the danger is gone."

Bush also revealed the defense force had defused a number of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that were attached to vehicles stopped after the attack, and warned anyone thinking of going to a mosque anywhere in New Zealand on Friday should stay put.