The survivors of the Christchurch terror attack have opened up about the horrific mass shooting and revealed what life has been like one year on.
On March 15, 2019, Brenton Tarrant allegedly stormed two mosques in Christchurch, on New Zealand’s south Island, killing 51 Muslim worshipers.
For those who miraculously survived the attack, which is the deadliest modern-day mass shooting the country has seen, the past 12 months have been a struggle.
The traumatic event has turned Temel Atacocugu’s life completely upside down.
He has spent much of the past year in hospital after he was shot nine times.
Temel Atacocugu (pictured) has spent much of the past year in hospital after he was shot nine times
Scars run along his arm after he was shot multiple times during the deadliest modern-day mass shooting the country has seen
The first bullet smashed into his teeth, four more went into both his legs.
As he lay motionless on the ground he was hit four more time in his left arm and leg.
His physical recovery has been remarkable. While his scars still remain, he no longer needs a wheelchair or a cane to move.
It is his mental recovery which is taking longer. He is still haunted by the images.
He has been on antidepressants for a year, he expects he will be on them for another 12 months.
‘Pretty much my whole life is upside down and changed,’ he said.
‘But spiritually, in a religious way, I’m much stronger than I used to be.’
Working at the kebab shop he co-owns has been a struggle since the attack, people often ask about his injuries, which makes Mr Atacocugu uncomfortable.
He now prefers working alone and is considering going back to work as a painter instead.
When the gunman walked into the mosque, Mr Atacocugu was kneeling for Friday prayers. He looked up into the man’s face
For Mustafa Boztas (pictured left), the attack has prompted changes in his career and how he wants to live his life
For Mustafa Boztas, the attack has prompted changes in his career and how he wants to live his life.
The 22-year-old was praying when the gunman stormed the Al Noor mosque and opened fire.
He was part of a group that tried to break a window to escape but the gunman was too quick.
‘Then we all got shot,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.
Mr Boztas was shot in the leg. Injured and bloody, he lay motionless in a pile of bodies pretending to be dead.
After a few minutes the room went quiet – the shooter left.
The former University of Canterbury engineering student managed to flee out of a smashed window. However, outside was no safer. Shots continued to ring out across the city.
As he lay helpless in the street waiting for paramedics to arrive, a policeman came and offered help.
Sheikh Hasan Rubel, 35, (pictured) was shot twice in the pelvis and once in his leg
The harrowing moment has inspired him to change careers, he is now hoping to become a police officer himself.
However, he was turned down by the New Zealand Police Force in November as he has endured significant trauma and deemed medically unfit.
He can reapply next year after a ‘comprehensive psychological assessment’.
And while March 15 was a horrific day, Mr Boztas is refusing to let it destroy him.
‘Life is worth living, so I want to keep living my life. I don’t like to be sad; I don’t want to be depressed. I’m going to work towards my dreams and those dreams will become reality one day.’
Sheikh Hasan Rubel, 35, was shot twice in the pelvis and once in his leg.
The accountant now has to use a walking stick and still requires more surgery to his pelvis.
And while his body has been damaged, Mr Rubel says his mind was hit the hardest.
‘I still remember the feeling when I was getting shot by one after one bullet … at one point I was thinking that at any time I can get shot anywhere and I´ll be dead.’
For many of the victims, they have found strength in their religion.
New Zealanders will commemorate those who died on the anniversary of the mass killing on Sunday.
Tarrant has pleaded not guilty to charges of terrorism, murder and attempted murder, and his trial is scheduled to start in June.
If found guilty, he faces life imprisonment.
The horrific terror attack in Christchurch, which left 51 worshipers dead, has been described as New Zealand’s darkest day