Mass shootings at two full mosques attending Friday prayers killed 49 people in Christchurch, New Zealand. One person has been charged and three others were detained by authorities and they defused an explosive devices in what appeared to be a carefully planned attack.

Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern have said the events in Christchurch represented "an extraordinary and unprecedented act of violence" and acknowledged many of those affected may be migrants and refugees. In addition to the dead, she said more than 20 people were seriously wounded.

"It is clear that this can now only be described as a terrorist attack," Ardern said.

Police took three men and a woman into custody after the shootings, which shocked people across the nation of 5 million people. One of the suspects was later charged with murder.

While there was no reason to believe there were more suspects, Ardern said the national security threat level was being raised to the second-highest level.

New Zealand Authorities have not specified who they detained, but said none had been on any watch list. A man who claimed responsibility for the shootings left a 74-page anti-immigrant manifesto in which he explained who he was and his reasoning for the attack. He said he was a 28-year-old white Australian.

Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison confirmed that one of the four people detained was an Australian-born citizen.