The Truth behind the Names the Christchurch Killer Chose

Images published by the Daily Mail newspaper on Friday revealed gun cartridges with Georgian inscriptions thought to have been used in the deadly terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Law enforcers seized weapons after the attack which had inscriptions in Georgian, Russian, English, and other languages. David Soslan, the name of Queen Tamar’s husband, and David Agmashenebeli, also known as David the Builder, were written on the cartridges.

However, the Georgian Ambassador to Australia and New Zealand, Giorgi Dolidze, affirmed that there is no proof confirming the authenticity of the photos.

The Georgian State Security Service is “cooperating with its partners in order to receive information regarding the detainees and the weapons seized,” reported the security service.

49 people were killed and at least 20 were seriously injured when white supremacists opened fire on worshippers in a mosque. One of the attackers live-streamed the massacre online.

Police detained four suspects, including one male with Australian citizenship and a woman.

Yet, contrary to the information disseminated online, the names written on the gun cartridges of the Christchurch shooters were not the names of “people who had carried out mass murder attacks,” but historical figures who fought off Muslims in the Middle Ages (mostly Turks and later, the Ottomans).

This varied assortment of names might give you the idea that the shooters had a keen interest in history, but they were by no means experts.

There were two Georgian names amongst those on the cartridges, well-written, especially for someone unfamiliar with the script.

We decided to give you some insight into the names the killer chose.

David Agmashenebeli (დავით აღმაშენებელი) – the greatest king of Georgia, who reigned in the 11-12th century A.C. Famous for his campaign against the Turk Seljuks and particularly for the victory in the Didgori battle where he, with a miniscule force, overcame a far more numerous army of Turk Seljuks. The Battle of Didgori very often ranks in the internet worldwide polls as among the most improbable victories. David Agmashenebeli was canonized, yet is reknowned for his tolerance towards other faiths, particularly imams, and was said to be a great patron of minorities. A true expert of history would probably have known that.

David Soslani (დავით სოსლანი) – Georgian military commander, 13th century A.C. Famous for being the husband of Queen Tamar and basically thrashing invading Turkic armies left, right and center. Just like the earlier David, Soslani often ends up in all kinds of historical internet polls as a dark horse, which might explain the shooter’s knowledge of him.

Miloš Obilic – a semi-legendary Serbian knight in the service of Prince Lazar during the invasion of the Ottoman Empire. He assassinated Ottoman Sultan Murad I in the Battle of Kosovo (1389). In the 19th century, Miloš also came to be canonized as a saint in the Serbian Church.

Marko Miljanov Popovic– A Montenegrin general of the late 19th century who waged guerilla warfare against the Ottomans. He was also an accomplished writer.

Bajo Pivljanin – A Bosnian military commander, late 17th century. Pivljanin started off as a lowly brigand, then entered the service of the Venetians against the Turks and participated in numerous battles, gaining much fame as a master of strategy and tactics. In 1685, he and his band fell into an uneven battle against the advancing Ottoman forces. Regarded as one of the most distinguished hajduks (bandit-cum-freedom fighter, Balkan history) of his time, he is praised in Serbian epic poetry.

Stefan Lazar(evic) – Also known as Stefan the Tall, Prince of Serbia, 14-15th century A.C. One of the most prominent Serbian princes and well respected throughout Europe for his knightly and military exploits. He was a constant thorn in the side of the Ottomans and inflicted several heavy defeats upon them, then entered their service, then reneged on them and declared independence as a despot. Stefan was a high-ranking member of the Order of Dragon, of which Vlad Tepes (Dracula’s prototype) was also purportedly a member.

Serban Cantacuzeno – A prince of Wallachia (modern day Moldova) of Byzantine origin. Hero of the Siege of Vienna (1683). He fought alongside Ottomans, while at the same time working as an informant and saboteur for Catholic Europe. In one case, he sabotaged his Turkish "allies" by warning the Austrians beforehand about the siege. “He also informed them about Ottoman plans, movements and tactics (in a hidden tunnel beneath the city's walls), and finally ordered his men to put hay and straw inside the Turkish cannons so that the damage on the walls of Vienna would be minimized.” It was his and the Polish relief forces that eventually made Vienna’s survival feasible. For his contributions, he was pronounced "Defender (or Count) of the Holy Roman Empire” by the Emperor and promised the throne of Constantinople after the Turks were driven out.

Dmitry Senyavin – A famed Russian admiral who fought the Ottomans, but also the Venetians, British and forces of Napoleon too. He fought against the Turks in the Battle of Navarino (1827) as the commander of the Baltic fleet alongside the English and French.

Edward Codrington - A British admiral who took part in the Battle of Trafalgar and the Battle of Navarino.

Marco Antonio Bragadin – A Venetian captain who was in charge of the heroic siege of Famagusta, modern day Cyprus (1570-1571), where the Venetian and Greek forces were besieged by Ottomans. After dragging the siege out, Bragadin and his forces negotiated surrender, the terms of which the Ottomans broke. Bragadin was brutally tortured and then executed.

Ernst Rudiger Von Starhemberg – The Military Governor of Vienna from 1680, with fewer than 20,000 men to oppose about 120,000 besieging Ottomans. He lead the city's defense forces during the Battle of Vienna in 1683 against the Ottomans, and later became the Imperial Marshal during the Great Turkish War.

Sebastiano Venier – Doge of Venice, 16th century. He was the commander of the Venetian contingent at the Battle of Lepanto (1571), in which the Christian League decisively defeated the Turks.

By Vazha Tavberidze & Amy Jones

Davit Aghmashenebeli. Source: icons.ge