Alleged gunman in twin mosque massacres that left 50 dead practiced at gun range where members spoke of 'zombie apocalypses': Military veteran

Suspect in twin mosque shootings plans to represent himself in court.

The alleged gunman who authorities said killed 50 worshippers and wounded dozens more at two mosques in New Zealand apparently took target practice at a gun range that a military veteran claimed he reported to police after overhearing members speaking of "zombie apocalypses" and "homicidal fantasies."

Police confirmed Monday that they are investigating Brenton Tarrant's connection to the Bruce Rifle Club and gun range in Milton, New Zealand, more than 400 miles south of Christchurch, where he allegedly went on a shooting rampage on Friday.

Investigators believe Tarrant took target practice at the club in the days leading up to the attack.

Pete Breidahl, a former New Zealand military machine gunner, posted a video on Facebook in the aftermath of the shootings claiming he asked police in the nearby town of Dunedin to investigate the rifle club based on troubling things he witnessed and overheard.

He said he saw members taking target practice using guns with 30-bullet magazines, talking about "zombie apocalypses, rifles for combat when they're overweight and ... useless" and discussing "homicidal fantasies."

Breidahl told the New York Times that he reported the club to police in 2017, shortly after visiting the club for the first time. He told the newspaper he was concerned about the mental stability of the club's members and the way they handled guns.

"They wore cammo around the range, like they were living some military base fantasy," Breidahl said.

He told The Times that he contacted police following the Christchurch massacre and says he is scheduled to meet with investigators on Tuesday.

"I went there for one shoot and was so ... horrified by what I saw. That was it for me," Breidhal said in his video.

"That ... made me concerned enough about the safety of people to go to a ... police officer, the arms officer, and say, 'You've got to do something about the Bruce Rifle Club, those people are not ... right," Breidahl said.

Bruce Rifle Club's vice president Scott Williams would only confirm to the RNZ Radio Network, New Zealand's public-service radio broadcaster, that Tarrant became a member of the club last year. He said Tarrant never did anything at the club that raised suspicions.

Williams told RNZ Radio that club members were shocked and stunned by the killing rampage and are cooperating with police.

Even as the police continued to probe what authorities called the deadliest terrorist attack in New Zealand history, three people were shot to death on a public tram in the Netherlands Monday in what police said had the hallmarks of a terrorist attack. A manhunt was underway for a suspect or suspects in the attack that occurred about 30 miles southeast of Amsterdam.