CCTV footage from Sri Lankan media shows the man suspected of bombing a Catholic Church in Negombo arriving at the scene shortly before the deadly explosion – one of a string of attacks that left hundreds dead on Easter Sunday.
In the video, a bearded man carrying a seemingly heavy backpack is seen making his way towards the crowded Easter service in Negombo, a city on the country’s west coast. As he crosses a courtyard, he stops to gently pat a little girl on the head.
Passing through crowds of unsuspecting Catholic worshippers gathered to celebrate Easter, the man enters a side door into the packed St. Sebastian's Church, standing near the front of the hall before the video cuts, reportedly moments before a bomb went off killing at least 150 people.
The Easter Sunday bombings have left 321 confirmed victims so far, with the UN’s child protection body saying 45 children are among the dead. Government officials say that two domestic terrorist groups are suspected of organizing the horrific attack. Initial reports suggest they carried out the bombings in response to the Christchurch shooting in mid-March, when a white supremacist killed around 50 people in two mosques in New Zealand.
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