A knife-wielding attacker rampaged through a busy Sydney shopping center on Saturday, killing six people and injuring several others, including a nine-month-old baby.
According to Australian police, the unidentified assailant stabbed multiple people before being apprehended and shot dead by a policewoman dubbed a national hero. The incident took place at the sprawling Westfield Bondi Junction mall complex, which was crowded with thousands of Saturday afternoon shoppers. Karen Webb, the New South Wales police commissioner, said five women and one man had died. An infant was undergoing emergency surgery.
Police believe the attacker is a 40-year-old man who is known to law enforcement, but he has yet to be formally identified. Webb denied that the attack was a terrorist act and stated that the attacker is believed to have acted alone. “If it is in fact the person we believe it is, then… it’s not a terrorism incident,” she said. According to a spokesperson for New South Wales Ambulance, eight patients were transported to hospitals throughout Sydney, including the baby, who was taken to the city’s Children’s Hospital. “They all have traumatic injuries,” the official explained.
Chaos in Sydney mall
A man wearing an Australian rugby league jersey was seen running around the shopping center with a large knife, according to security camera footage. Injured people lay lifeless on the floor or in pools of blood. Eyewitnesses described a chaotic scene in which shoppers scrambled for safety while police attempted to secure the area. Many people took shelter in shops, hoping to protect themselves, their families. Ayush Singh was working at a cafe inside the center when the incident occurred. “I saw the whole thing in front of me,” he told AFP. “I saw a lot of people running around, I saw the guy running with the knife and people running away.”
Singh assisted two elderly ladies who were drinking coffee to hide inside his cafe. He heard three gunshots and saw the man lying on the ground. “It was really scary,” he said. “I’ve felt really safe (in Australia). I’ve been here for six years. I didn’t feel unsafe but now I feel scared.” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised the bravery of strangers who helped one another, as well as the woman police inspector who rushed headlong into danger. “She is certainly a hero. There is no doubt that she saved lives through her action,” Albanese said.
As night fell, dozens of heavily armed police and ambulances remained outside the shopping complex, with stretchers ready to transport people to nearby hospitals. The sound of police sirens and helicopters permeated the atmosphere. The mall has been locked down, and police have advised visitors to avoid the area. Such attacks are almost unheard of in Australia, which has a low incidence of violent crime.
