Shooting victim Wasseim Alsati with two of his four children. Youngest daughter Alin is in critical condition.Photo / LaunchGood
Shooting victim Wasseim Alsati with two of his four children. Youngest daughter Alin is in critical condition.Photo / LaunchGood
A father gunned down next to his daughter in the Christchurch mosque shootings has flown to Auckland to be with the critically injured 4-year old.
Jordanian barber Wasseim Alsati gave an emotional message from his Christchurch hospital bed on Saturday asking family and friends to "please pray for me andmy daughter."
Alin, who turns 5 next month, was praying with her father when she was shot up to three times in Friday's massacre that killed 43 people at the Deans Ave mosque and seven others at the Linwood mosque.
She was transferred to Starship on Saturday.
A friend of the family told the Herald over the weekend that Alin was a "beautiful, sweet, kind-hearted, sweetheart with the most amazing eyes".
David Meates, Canterbury District Health Board chief executive, said 31 patients who were injured in the mosque attacks remain in Christchurch Hospital.
"Two people were well enough to go home and have been discharged today.
"There are still 9 people in a critical condition in intensive care," Meates said
We continue to transfer any that are well enough to go to other wards as we can. People injured in the mosque attacks are our priority for surgery and other specialist care over the coming days."