- 鈥楬e was trying to help and protect the others from being shot, but unfortunately he wasn鈥檛 so lucky鈥�
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand: 鈥楬e wasn鈥檛 so lucky鈥� 鈥� friends recount death of sportsman in Christchurch mosque shootings.
A dedicated futsal player and loving father was one of the victims in Friday鈥檚 mass shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Friends of Kuwait-born Atta Elayyan, 33, have travelled to Christchurch to pay tribute to his life.
Iraqi man Ghassan Alaraji, 35, who works as an osteopath in Auckland, said he witnessed Elayyan鈥檚 death in one of the videos posted online by the suspected gunman, Brenton Harrison Tarrant, 28.
鈥淚t showed a young chap running towards the perpetrator trying to tackle him to stop him from shooting,鈥� Alaraji said.
鈥淛ust before that happened, the perpetrator shot him. That was my friend Atta.鈥�
He described watching the video as 鈥渧ery saddening鈥�.
Alaraji, who鈥檚 travelled from Auckland to show his support to the grieving families, said Elayyan was a kind man, successful businessman, loving father, and a good husband. He was a member of the Futsal Whites, New Zealand鈥檚 national futsal team.
鈥淗e was trying to help and protect the others from being shot, but unfortunately he wasn鈥檛 so lucky,鈥� Alaraji said.
鈥淗e was very, very brave.鈥�
Atta Elayyan was born in Kuwait and a member of the tech community in Christchurch. He co-founded and ran the mobile consultancy company, LWA Solutions. He moved to New Zealand in the mid-1990s and loved his time here, Alaraji said.
He said there had been lots of support from the local Christchurch community and the council has done an amazing job to begin digging graves for those who lost their lives.
鈥淲e wish all the best for his family and we鈥檒l try our best to give all our support for them,鈥� he said.
鈥淗e will be dearly missed,鈥� Alaraji said as he held a photo showing Elayyan with his young daughter.
Another friend of Atta Elayyan, who did not want to be named, said he received official confirmation of his friend鈥檚 death late on Saturday night.
鈥淵esterday in the morning when they confirmed that he wasn鈥檛 on the list of people who were in the hospital鈥� that was kind of the first acceptance,鈥� the friend said.
鈥淭hat was hard. That was a shock,鈥� the friend, who had also travelled from Auckland to pay respects.
In a statement, New Zealand Football said it was deeply sad to receive the news of Elayyan鈥檚 death.
Elayyan played 19 international games for the New Zealand Futsal Whites.
Chief Executive Andrew Pragnell said the death was devastating for those in the football community.
鈥淥n behalf of everyone at New Zealand Football our thoughts and prayers go out to anyone who has been affected by these heinous acts of violence,鈥� Pragnell said.
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