Assassination in Christchurch: YouTuber PewDiePie speaks in dismay
After the attacks on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, where so far 49 people have died, the investigation is in full swing. Always new details become known. According to concurring media reports, one of the alleged perpetrators filmed his act live with a camera and told viewers to follow Youtuber PewDiePie at the beginning of the 17-minute video. "Remember friends, subscribes PewDiePie," is therefore heard in the video. The Swedish creator Felix "PewDiePie" Kjellberg, to which this statement refers, was dismayed and took a clear position on Twitter.
"It makes me sick that my name was pronounced by this person," writes the Swede. "My heart and my thoughts are with the victims, the families and everyone affected by this tragedy."
For a long time, Felix Kjellberg had the world's largest YouTube channel with almost 90 million subscribers. Since the Indian record label T-Series had come closer to him in terms of subscribers and had even overtaken him recently, he had just called this slogan in an advertising campaign fans to subscribe to his channel. Why the perpetrator, according to media reports, a suspected 28-year-old Australian, put this message at the beginning of his video, is still unclear. Facebook and Twitter blocked the 17-minute recording of the attack meanwhile.
The worst terrorist attack in the history of New Zealand
About 300 believers had gathered around 1.30pm local time in the "Al-Noor" mosque for the usual prayer, as a heavily armed man marched according to media reports in the church and shot himself. Later, shots were fired in another mosque. According to the government, at least 49 people have been killed and 48 people were hospitalized with gunshot wounds, including several children. The New Zealand police have so far arrested four suspects, one woman and three men. Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed a far-right background of the main offender.
