A “Hero” saved many lives in Christcurch’s Linwood mosque

Syed Mazharuddin, A survivor of Friday's deadly mass shootings in New Zealand, told New Zealand Herald about how a young guy saved lives of many worshippers in Christcurch’s Linwood mosque.

As reported to the New Zealand Herald, Syed Mazharuddin was praying at the Linwood mosque in Christchurch on Friday around lunchtime when a man wearing protective gear entered and began shooting at men, women and children inside.

In the chaotic moments that followed, Mazharuddin said his friend found the chance to tackle the gunman and disarm him.

"The young guy who usually takes care of the mosque ... he saw an opportunity and pounced on [the gunman] and took his gun," Mazharuddin told the New Zealand Herald. "The hero tried to chase and he couldn't find the trigger in the gun ... he ran behind him but there were people waiting for him in the car and he fled."

Mazharuddin described the gunman, as a white man in his 20s.

Seven people died at the Linwood mosque and one died later on of their injuries at a nearby hospital. Mazharuddin said that people all around him, including his friends, were shot and bleeding heavily, and that it took ambulances about half an hour to get there, Mazharuddin told the New Zealand Herald.