A New Zealand court heard on Monday that Brenton Tarrant who killed 51 people at two mosques in New Zealand in 2019 had plans to target a third mosque. Tarrant also planned to burn down the mosques. The BBC reports that he had wanted to “inflict as many fatalities as possible”.

Tarrant pleaded guilty to one charge of terrorism, 51 counts of murder, and 40 counts of attempted murder. The 29-year-old faces life in prison. The possibility of parole is reportedly unlikely. According to the BBC, this sentence was never previously imposed in New Zealand.

Tarrant had live streamed parts of his attack in which he opened fire at two mosques in Christchurch last year March. He shot at worshippers taking part in Friday prayers at the Al Noor mosque, before driving to the Linwood mosque, about 5 km’s away, where he killed more.

Survivors and relatives of the victims attended the hearing, with some having travelled from overseas and spending two-weeks in quarantine to take part.

Crown prosecutor Barnaby Hawes told the court that the gunman had begun creating a plan years earlier to fulfil his goal of inflicting “as many fatalities as possible”. He reportedly studied mosque floor plans, and other details to target the mosques at their busiest time. The court heard that Tarrant, had travelled to Christchurch in the months before the attack and had flown a drone over the Al Noor mosque.

According to the BBC, Tarrant also planned to target the Ashburton Mosque. He was, however, detained on his way there.

People were shot in the street as they tried to escape the Al Noor mosque, and Tarrant even drove over one victim’s body as he left. He stopped to shoot at men of African origin as he drove towards the Linwood Islamic Centre, but they were able to escape.

Police say he told them after the attack that his plan was to burn down the mosques and that he wished he had done so.

Tarrant is representing himself in court. His sentencing hearing will last four days. Among his victims was three-year-old Mucaad Ibrahim, shot at directly while clinging to his father’s leg.

Umm Muhammad Umar