The Christchurch mosque gunman was planning to continue his deadly assault after killing 50 people in two shootings, New Zealand police have said.
Commissioner Mike Bush has said officers stopped stopped him before the death toll rose even further.
He spoke as victims' families were beginning to lay their loved ones to rest.
The attacker was apprehended by two police officers after the attacks, in which dozens of others were injured.
Mr Bush said: “We strongly believe we stopped him on the way to a further attack.
“So lives were saved by our staff - courageous in their intervention.”
Mr Bush said investigators believe they know where the gunman was going, but wouldn’t share further details because of an active probe into the attack.
Brenton Tarrant, 28, has been charged with murder and remanded in custody.
Mr Bush also revised the timeline of the police's response. He said officers rammed a suspect off the road and arrested him 21 minutes after the first emergency call, rather than 36 minutes as previously reported.
The latest development comes as the first victims of the massacre were buried.
Among the six people were father and son Khaled and Hamza Mustafa, aged 44 and 15. The pair had only arrived in New Zealand from war-torn Syria last year. They were buried before hundreds of mourners.
"I cannot tell you how gutting it is," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on her second visit to the city since the tragedy. "A family came here for safety and they should have been safe here."
Bodies of the victims were carried in open caskets on the shoulders of mourners into a large tent at Christchurch's Memorial Park Cemetery.
Wrapped in white cloth, the bodies were laid to face Mecca. After prayers, they were carried towards their freshly dug graves.
Heavily armed police stood watch with flowers tucked in their revolver holsters and attached to their rifles.
So far, 21 victims have been identified. More burials are expected during the week.
Additional reporting by Reuters.
