Gun City owner David Tipple confirms four weapons, ammunition sold to accused gunman

The owner of Gun City has confirmed his business sold four weapons and ammunition to accused mosque gunman Brenton Tarrant.

David Tipple said today that he and his staff were "dismayed and disgusted" by Friday's shootings.

However, Tipple said he did not feel responsible for the shootings.

"I had a grandson comment to me: 'Grand Dad why do people think the guns were the problem? The guy was crazy'. He is six years old."

He denied there had been any "panic buying" of guns.

Gun City's David Tipple. Photo / file

Gun City has stories in Christchurch, Auckland, Wellington, Hamilton, Dunedin, Queenstown and Invercargill. It also sells guns through its website.

Tipple said the guns bought by Tarrant were bought online and that police had been provided all details of those sales.

Tipple said the accused killer had not bought a semi-automatic weapon from one of his stores.

Tarrant is believed to have live-streamed the alleged attack.

"I watched the video and saw the rifle... and it was not from any Gun City affiliated store," Tipple said.

However, Tipple said he was not able to verify whether the shotgun used was bought from Gun City.

Tipple said the gun allegedly used by Tarrant was fitted with a magazine that would not have been sold with it.

Tipple labelled the sales to Tarrant as "ordinary".

He said the store made checks to make sure people couldn't maintain "an army build up".

He said Tarrant made his first purchase from the store a month after gaining his gun license, and his last purchase in March 2018.

Tipple said Gun City will fully cooperate with police and the Government to prevent any kind of reoccurrence.

He said Gun City has operated for 40 years and at all times have met their legal obligations.

Tipple said he did not want to address issues on "the gun debate".

Tipple said Tarrant "absolutely should not" have had any weapons.

"If we allow him to make changes in our ideology and behaviour, he has won," he said.

"We are not a country of emotional responses. We are a country of laws. What we are doing is legal and the majority of people... are abiding by those laws," he said.

"This gunman wants us all to be at each other throats. He wants us to return to 15th Century England where we hang, draw and quarter each other because we don't have similar beliefs," he said.

'Let's move on together, because together we are a much stronger force than divided. Let's not rip each other apart because we have a difference of opinion."

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has said gun laws will change as a result of the mosque shootings.

Tipple expressed his sympathies to the families and loved ones who had suffered from "such an unspeakable act".

"My staff and I are dismayed and disgusted by what happened last Friday," he said.

"We cannot comprehend how such despicable actions could be inflicted on those at prayer in a place of worship".