PewDiePie 'sickened' as Christchurch shooter mentions YouTuber in live stream of New Zealand mosque shooting

YouTuber PewDiePie
PewDiePie
Rebecca Speare-Cole15 March 2019

YouTuber PewDiePie said he is “sickened” after the New Zealand gunman mentioned him during a live-steam of the shooting.

Forty-nine people were killed and dozens more injured when at least one shooter opened fire at two mosques in a coordinated terror attack in the city of Christchurch on Friday.

In a Facebook live stream of the shooting, the shooting suspect said: “Remember, lads, subscribe to PewDiePie.”

The popular Swedish YouTube star, whose real name is Felix Kjellberg, responded in a tweet and said: “Just heard news of the devastating reports from New Zealand Christchurch.

“I feel absolutely sickened having my name uttered by this person.

“My heart and thoughts go out to the victims, families and everyone affected by this tragedy."

The shooter live streamed the attack online
AP

PewDiePie followers shared their support for him, replying to the tweet saying: “you are not to blame” and “you had absolutely nothing to do with this.”

The YouTuber has faced backlash in the past and has been accused of using racist humour and advocating white supremacy through his YouTube content.

In the footage on social media, the killer's weapon can be seen before he carries out the attack.
AP

He was embroiled in a major controversy after he praised an openly neo-Nazi YouTube account, EsemisolonR, in his “Pew News” feature.

The live stream was filmed by the shooting suspect, who claimed to have “planned the attack for the last two years.”

The video was then uploaded onto social media sites where it was widely shared before being taken down.

The gunman, who is believed to be a 28-year-old Australian man, also published a manifest in which he said he only came to New Zealand to plan and train for the attack.

At about 1.40pm local time, shots were heard near the Masjid Al Noor mosque on Deans Avenue.

Another shooting occurred at the mosque in Linwood Avenue, about two miles east of the first mosque.

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