New Zealand announces Royal Commission of Inquiry into mosque shootings

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced that a Royal Commission of Inquiry will be held into the Christchurch mosques terror attack, the New Zealand Herald reported.

People were asking how the attack, in which 50 people died and dozens more were injured, was able to take place, including how the alleged gunman obtained the weapons, the role of social media and the role of agencies, she said.

Ardern said she also had questions.

The inquiry would take in the agency review already announced, she said.

There would be a focus on whether security agencies were focused the right way and whether there were any clues that were missed.

Royal commissions were reserved for the gravest of events and the mosques attack was one of those, she said.

Ardern said the inquiry would look at events leading up to the attack rather than the response - that would come later.

The Prime Minister said the seriousness of the attack and the need for answers needed to be weighed up. That would be done when the terms of reference were drawn up, and the names of the inquirers released.

Ardern said she and other ministers would meet this afternoon with Brad Smith of Microsoft to further discuss the role of social media following the sharing of livestreamed video of the alleged gunman's actions.