Today marks four years since the Christchurch mosque shootings – the worst terror attack on New Zealand soil.
In a five-chapter series, Herald senior journalist KURT BAYER investigates the tragedy and its aftermath.
He follows the lives of some of the victims as they struggle with loss, grief and traumatic mental and physical injuries, highlighting the ripple effect of "our darkest of days".
In Chapter Two, Bayer looks at the immediate aftermath of the shootings, examining how the police, medical staff and the Government responded amid the growing realisation New Zealand would never be the same again.
This story was originally published in March 2020.
CONTENT WARNING: Some readers might find this story distressing.