Six people were killed and several others injured after a man stabbed a shopping center in Sydney, Australia, on Saturday afternoon local time, one of the worst mass killings in the country in recent years. The suspect was shot and killed.
Eyewitnesses described “pandemonium” as they fled the attack, with many forced to hide in shops. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the attack was “beyond words and understanding” but that amid the “shocking violence” there were flashes of heroism.
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Six dead: New South Wales Police Commissioner Karen Webb said four women and one man died at the shopping centre, while a fifth woman later died in hospital. Webb added that eight more people were being treated for injuries in Sydney hospitals.
Baby among the injured: A nine-month-old baby is confirmed to be among the injured and has undergone surgery, Webb said. Australian media reported that the baby's mother had died, but Webb was unable to confirm the reports.
Suspicious shooting: A police inspector shot the attacker dead at the scene. Police believe the suspect was a 40-year-old man who acted alone, but were unable to provide further identifying details. Early indications suggest the attack was not terrorism-related.
Police officer “hero”: The police officer who shot the suspect is being hailed as a “hero”, with Albanese saying: “There is no doubt he saved lives with his action.” The officer was nearby when the violence unfolded and shot the attacker when he raised his knife toward her, police said.
Witnesses describe the scene: Eyewitnesses described panic and “pandemonium” as fleeing shoppers fell on each other and hid in stores. One woman, Crystal Wang, told CNN that she hid in a clothing store for more than an hour with other shoppers. Another man told Australian state broadcaster ABC that the attacker was stabbing people “indiscriminately”.
Rare attack: The attack has shocked Australia, a country where mass casualty events are rare. The deadliest in its history was a mass shooting in April 1996 in the city of Port Arthur, Tasmania, which killed 35 people and became known as the Port Arthur massacre. More recently, at least four people were killed and one injured in a mass shooting in the northern city of Darwin in 2019.
