Suspect in New Zealand shootings to face 89 charges

Police say the man accused of the Christchurch mosque attacks will face 50 murder charges and 39 attempted murder charges at his court appearance Friday.

Fifty people were killed in the two mosques and dozens of others were shot and wounded.

Australian Brenton Harrison Tarrant had been charged with one count of murder after his arrest the day of the March 15 massacre. He won’t be required to enter a plea on Friday.

The judge says the brief hearing will mainly be about Tarrant’s legal representation. He has said he wants to represent himself. He earlier dismissed lawyer Richard Peters, who was assigned to represent him at his first court appearance.

He will make his second court appearance via video link. Media photographs won’t be allowed and reporting on the proceedings will be severely restricted by New Zealand law.

The judge said he had received applications from 25 media organizations to take film, photographs or audio recordings of the hearing but he denied all of them. He said reporters could remain throughout and take notes.