A deadly stabbing spree in a bustling Sydney mall ended abruptly when a courageous police officer shot and killed the knife-wielding assailant. The incident, which occurred on Saturday afternoon at Westfield Bondi Junction, resulted in five fatalities and several injuries, including a small child.
Local authorities were alerted to the situation around 3:30 p.m. when calls came in about a man brandishing a knife and attacking shoppers. The suspect, clad in a gold and green rugby jersey and shorts, was seen on video footage menacing terrified shoppers with a long knife.
The rampage sent hundreds of people fleeing towards the mall’s exits. The suspect reportedly began his attack around 3:10 p.m., moving through a crowd of approximately nine people inside the mall and stabbing several of them.
A nearby police officer was alerted to the situation by the fleeing shoppers. She confronted the suspect on the fifth level of the mall. When the man turned towards her and raised his knife, the officer fired a single shot, killing him.
The assailant had managed to kill six people and wound at least four others, including a nine-month-old baby, before he was stopped. The baby’s mother, a 38-year-old woman, succumbed to her injuries hours later at the hospital. The condition of the baby is still unknown.
Two witnesses recounted how they assisted the baby and its mother after the attack. They described how the mother, after being stabbed, handed her baby to them. They then began applying pressure to the wounds of both the baby and the mother in an attempt to stop the bleeding.
The motive behind the attack remains unclear. Authorities have not ruled out the possibility of it being a terrorist act. Eight victims were transported to various hospitals across Sydney, while six others were treated at the scene.
The suspect is believed to have acted alone, and authorities have assured the public that there is no further threat to the area. The incident sparked widespread panic, with social media posts showing crowds fleeing the mall and emergency services rushing to the scene.
Australia’s Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, lauded the bravery of the police officer who confronted the suspect alone, stating that she undoubtedly saved lives. He also condemned the attack, describing it as a horrific act of violence against innocent people.