Patrick Gower is one of the most recognisable faces on New Zealand television. He’s a veteran of Kiwi journalism and has covered many horrible, hard news stories.
But nothing compares to this.
Since the Christchurch mosque attacks on Friday, Gower has been in the South Island city covering the tragedy and speaking with family members of the victims.
Mamamia’s daily news podcast The Quicky shares the tales of bravery and hope after the Christchurch attacks. Post continues below audio.
On New Zealand’s version of The Project, Gower explained how it was an interview with a young man named Abdi on Sunday that finally “broke” him.
“There’s no question that the last 72 hours has changed me. There’s just a mist of extreme grief everywhere in Christchurch,” he explained, describing scenes of loved ones searching for their lost family as “like a warzone”.
Gower explained that Abdi recounted what happened to his three-year-old brother Mucad Ibrahim, the youngest victim of the terrorist attack.
“He said words that I will never forget, ‘Everybody started running, and I just lost the boy’.
“Think of that, think of how horrible that is, not just for the three year old but for the brother,” Gower said.
“And that broke me. It wasn’t because it was really sad, it was because for the first time in my life I really comprehended something that was truly evil.
“I’ve seen evil before through my career but this went deeper… Something truly evil happened to the boy Mucad and it broke me.”
Footage of the interview showed Abdi recounting what happened to Mucad.
“Everything was just going too fast. I just thought it was fireworks. Everyone was running, and I just started to run and just lost the boy,” Abdi said, as tears started forming in his eyes.
Gower was lost for words: “I don’t know what to say to you, but, but I’m just. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
On The Project, Gower said that the victims – whether they had lived in New Zealand for decades or just months – were all Kiwis.
He said he had one last thing to say to little Mucad: “Rest easy, my little Kiwi brother.”
Top Comments
There's a sinister thread of evil weaving it's way through the world now and it's coming from the Extreme Right-Wing.
I think that if you're in the presence of someone who's trying to defend the massacre in NZ by agreeing with Anning (for eg) - tackle them on it.
How could you not.?
Fascists & racists believe that "people who don't look like us, or worship like us" are subhuman and unworthy of a place in the world.
When I express impatience with organized religions I do so in support of their followers who I feel are being exploited........it's the hierarchies I have little time for.
The incredible grace and wisdom of the Muslims I've seen reacting to this horror has now taught me to look closer at the individuals.
Their reactions alone have proven the shooter's "mission" to be a wicked disgrace and a
total fail.
Really? So, it's bad to blame all Muslims if there's ever a Islamic terrorist attack, but it's fine to blame everyone who's "right-wing" for this terrorist attack? Can you even see the hypocrisy in that? Actually, judging from comments by many of my facebook friends, probably not.
Oh, and Fraser Anning did not "defend the massacre", or "blame" it on Muslims as some people are alluding.
“There's a sinister thread of evil weaving its way through the world now”
Yes I also feel this. However it's not just coming from one segment of society unfortunately. It’s ‘extremists’ full stop. The ideology of these extremists is just the excuse to unleash their hate and violence. I see them primarily as being severely mentally ill rather than political. The extreme political and religious views they spout being a symptom of their grossly distorted thinking.
If you blamed all white people in the western world for the NZ terrorist attack, that would be the same as blaming all Muslims for Jihadist terrorist attacks. Can you really not see the difference?
This sucks so much. I'm so sorry this happened. How could you shoot a kid?
I'm sitting here wondering the same thing. Shooting another adult is evil enough but to shoot a child in cold blood is beyond evil and I will never be able to get my head around it.