Holland mosque attack

**Date** | 28 April 2019,
 **Assaliants** | Frank Mourdant (far-right inspired)

On 28 April 2019, a vehicle ramming attack took place at Holland Mosque in Holland, Ams City. At 08:37, Frank Mourdant, a suspected far-right activist rammed his car into a group of pedestrians congregating outside Ams City Mosque in Holland, injuring four people.

## Events

On 28 April 2019, at around 08:37, a rental car rammed several pedestrians at the junction of Wardite Street and Denver Avenue, right outside Holland / Ams City Mosque.

A group of Muslims who were congregating outside the mosque were rammed at around 50kmph before the car came to a stop around 80 yards from the scene of the attack.

The driver then exited his vehicle, ran towards the crowd of people and stabbed a female victim 5 times, leaving her with critical injuries. Bystanders attempted to pin down the suspect however he fled on foot in the direction of East Holland.

The first 112 call was made at 08:41 and officers arrived on scene at 08:45. The incident was declared as a terrorist incident at around 10am that morning.

## Reactions

Flowers and messages were left close to the scene, and a memorial for victims of the Christchurch mosque attack had to be replaced as it was ran over during the attack.

The attack was condemned by Muslim, Christian, Sikh and Jewish leaders. The Mayor of Ams City promised increased security and protection for 'all places of worship during these turbulent times' and stated 'expressing your views in these ways is unacceptable.'

## Investigation

The ACPD said a 38 year old male, believed to be the driver of the rental car, a Hyundai i30 was arrested after handing himself in to Midtown Police Station in The Triangle shortly after 10:00, just over an hour after the attack. The rental car involved in the incident was reported to have been hired from Broker. Following the attack, investigators discovered bricks and metal weights in the back of the vehicle, investigators believe this was intended to cause maximum fatality.

Police officials said there were around 25 to 30 worshippers outside the mosque at the time and the bus stop and a bollard outside the mosque prevented the attacker from hitting the larger crowd.

## Attacker

Frank Mourdant of Broker perpetrated the attack. Mourdant, a married father of two, was 38 at the time of the attack. He grew up in the city. Security Minister Sarah Melcaff said he was not known to security serviecs prior to the attack.

Family members of Mourdant described his prior attitudes as racist and Islamophobic but stated he was a family man and were shocked that he would commit such an attack.

Mourdant had previously lashed out at Muslims on his now deleted social media page, following the Paris attacks in 2015, the 2016 Nice attack and the 2017 London attacks.

Mourdant had hired a car the night before the attack and kept it at his home in South Slopes, Broker. Osborne testified in court that he planned to carry out a co-ordinated knife attack at the mosque but 'wanted to keep it simple.'

## Conviction and sentence

On 4 June 2019, Mourdant pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and terrorist related activiity. Mourdant was found guilty on both counts. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 19 years.