FILE - In this March 15, 2019, file photo, people stand across a road from the Al Noor mosque following a mass shooting in central Christchurch, New Zealand. On Sunday, March 15, 2020, New Zealand will commemorate the 51 people who were killed in the attacks. (AP Photo/Mark Baker, File)
March 14, 2020
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March 14, 2020 10:37 p.m.
Shot 9 times during mosque massacre, survivor overcomes fear
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AP) — When the gunman walked into the Al Noor mosque, Temel Atacocugu was kneeling for Friday prayers. He looked up into the man’s face, thinking he was a police officer because of his paramilitary outfit. Time slowed. Atacocugu saw a puff of smoke come from the raised gun, felt a bullet smash into his teeth, and thought, “Oh, my God, I'm dying.”