New Zealand attacker's gun club was reported to police, man claims

Suspected attacker was a member of the Bruce Rifle Club

A man has claimed that he reported the gun club where the alleged Christchurch mosque shooter practised over two years ago.

In video posted on his Facebook page, Pete Breidahl said he attended a shooting competition at the Bruce Rifle Club, near Dunedin, in November 2017.

He claimed that members at the club had Confederate flags and wore camouflage clothing with military webbing and insignia. The Confederate flag is seen by some as an icon of slavery and racism.

Mr Breidahl added that members talked about about "zombie apocalypses" and "homicidal fantasies".

He said he was left so concerned after the competition that he went to the police arms officer in Dunedin and shared his "serious concerns" about the members.

Mr Breidahl claimed to have met Brenton Tarrant, the man accused of carrying out the attack. Mr Tarrant joined the Bruce Rifle Club in 2018.

"I told the cops they were nuts and shouldn't have guns," Mr Breidhal said.

The former New Zealand Defence Force soldier, later posted a photo of an old Facebook post in which he shared his concerns in 2017.

"There were some guys here with pretty strong feelings about guns, and one in particular really had me very worried," he wrote at the time. "He was complaining about skateboarding kids at the uni saying if they can carry their boards, he should be allowed to carry a gun."

However, the vice-president of the gun club rejected any links to white nationalism.

Scott Williams told the Otago Daily Times that any investigation of the club would prove the allegations "unfounded".

"I think we're feeling bit stunned and shocked and a bit betrayed perhaps, that we've had this person in our club who has ended up doing these horrible things," he said. "I don't know where this has come from. We certainly never heard from the police. [Breidahl] is known to us, he clearly has a chip on his shoulder, or a bone to pick with us. We don't know why."

He added he was there on the day Mr Breidahl said he attended and he did not see Confederate flags.

"We'd welcome any police investigation into the club, and members, and I'm sure the allegations would prove unfounded."

A police spokesperson said initial enquiries show no record of a "complaint" being made, according to The New Zealand Herald.

Officers will look into the matter, the spokesperson added.