The late Mr Mark Miller, NZBM, for an act of bravery
On 15 March 2019 around 1.40pm, a lone gunman armed with semi-automatic shotguns and assault rifles, with several hundred rounds of ammunition, commenced an attack on the Al Noor Mosque on Deans Avenue in Christchurch.
During the attack on the Mosque the gunman returned to his vehicle to collect further ammunition, and fired multiple shots along both directions of the street, on one occasion firing 27 shots in one direction.
Mr Mark Miller and a colleague were driving in their work vehicle along Deans Avenue in Christchurch, near the near the vicinity of the Al Noor Mosque at around 1.40pm.
As they drove towards the Mosque they heard gunfire and witnessed between five to eight people being shot and falling to the ground.
Mr Miller’s colleague stopped the vehicle around 100 metres from the Mosque and said to Mr Miller they should go back to help.
Mr Miller left the vehicle and ran towards the first victim he saw on the ground.
He crawled between cars onto the footpath and tried to move the man, but was unable to do so.
He stayed with him to provide comfort and assistance. During this time, Mr Miller saw the gunman moving towards the Mosque and out of sight, before hearing more shots being fired.
Another man approached Mr Miller and helped move the wounded man onto his side.
Together they administered first aid to the gunshot wound on the man’s back, and Mr Miller helped hold the man upright as he was having trouble breathing.
The Police arrived soon afterwards and Mr Miller stayed with the man assisting him, until the victim died a short while later.
Mr Miller moved to help lift another victim onto a gurney and load him into an ambulance, before finally leaving the scene.