On Friday, two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand suffered a devastating mass shooting—one that is now being described as a terrorist attack. Three men and one woman are in custody, and the death toll has reached 49 (with as many as 50 other people, including children, being treated for injuries). The Muslim community in New Zealand is small and tight-knit, and it's estimated that one in 500 Muslims in the country was killed or wounded.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said it was "one of New Zealand’s darkest days." "What has happened here is an extraordinary and unprecedented act of violence,” she said, calling it “an act that has absolutely no place in New Zealand.” Notes of sympathy and support have come pouring in for the city, including from Queen Elizabeth and the British royal family.
As reports continue to come in from Christchurch about the full scope of the shooting and its aftermath, we've rounded up the places to help support the victims and their families. We will continue to update this page if and when other avenues of support are announced.
Givealittle
Givealittle has an official page to donate in support of the shooting victims. According to Newshub, the page was launched by the New Zealand Council of Victim Support Groups and has raised more than $394,000 as of this writing.
Bear in mind, that link keeps crashing because so many people are on it, so if it's not working for you—keep at it.
LaunchGood
On LaunchGood's United for Christchurch Mosque Shootings page, more than $178,000 has been currently raised for victims and their families (the page has been verified). The funds will be distributed by NZIIC—New Zealand Islamic Information Centre to "help with the immediate, short-term needs of the grieving families."
This post will be updated with more official donation links as we have them. And, of course, if you're near the city of Christchurch in New Zealand, a great way to help is to give blood as soon as you can.
