Photo: Geoff Sloan
The new police Armed Response Team (ART) being trialled in Canterbury and other parts of New Zealand, and two patrol cars, responded.
The ART officers are specialist police personnel who are part of the Armed Offenders Squad.
A spokesman from Masjid Al Noor on Deans Ave said it reported hearing sounds of fireworks being let off nearby.
A police spokeswoman a report was received of noises that sounded like a firearm being discharged in Riccarton at 2.30pm.
“Police were immediately dispatched and on arrival ascertained the noise was likely to have been fireworks. An ART was deployed,” she said.
Forty-two people were killed at the Riccarton mosque when a gunman opened fire on March 15.
