By Agencies and published by CNA
Sydney – Six people were killed in a stabbing attack at a busy mall in Sydney’s beachside suburb of Bondi on Saturday (Apr. 13).
Emergency services were called to Westfield Bondi Junction just before 4 p.m. local time.
The knife-wielding attacker was shot dead by police at the scene. His motive was not immediately clear but Australian police said he is believed to have acted alone and there is “no continuing threat”.
Eight people were taken to hospital, said a New South Wales Ambulance spokesperson, adding that a number of them are in serious or critical condition.
Australian media said the injured included a mother and her baby.
Police were seen trying to save victims’ lives at the sprawling six-storey complex.
Eyewitnesses said there was panic at the scene, with shoppers running to safety and police trying to secure the area.
Several people took shelter in shops as they tried to protect themselves and their families.
An eyewitness told ABC the attacker had been shot by a police officer.
“If she did not shoot him, he would have kept going, he was on the rampage,” said the man, who did not give his name.
New South Wales Police Assistant Commissioner Tony Cooke said the attacker walked into the mall at about 3.10 p.m., left and returned 10 minutes later at 3.20 p.m.
“As he moved through the centre, he engaged with about nine people,” Cooke said at a news conference.
“It is clear that during that engagement he caused harm to those people, we believe, by stabbing them with a weapon he was carrying.”
“She confronted the offender, who had moved by this stage to level five as she continued to walk quickly behind him to catch up with him,” Cooke said.
“He turned, faced her, raised a knife, she discharged a firearm and that person is now deceased.”
When asked by a reporter if police were ruling out terrorism, Cooke said: “We’re not ruling anything out.”
“I do not know at this stage who he is,” Cooke added. “You would understand this is quite raw. Inquiries are very new and we are continuing to make attempts to identify the offender in this matter.”
“Running and screaming”
She ended up running to a nearby shop and taking shelter in a break room.
“It was scary, there are some people who were emotionally vulnerable and crying,” she told AFP.
She escaped using an emergency exit with other shoppers and staff, which took them to a back street.
She described a scene of “chaos”, with people running and police swarming the area. “I am alive and grateful,” she added.
Reece Colmenares was on her way to the gym when she saw “people running and screaming” past her.
She told AFP the people were saying someone had been stabbed so she ran into a nearby hardware shop with 10 to 12 other people
“They took us down (to a room) and closed the shop,” she said. “It’s scary, there are little children and elderly and people in wheelchairs everywhere.”
As night fell, dozens of police and ambulances were still outside the shopping complex. The sound of police sirens and helicopters filled the air.
The mall has been locked down and police have urged people to avoid the area.
Such attacks are virtually unheard of in Australia, which has relatively low rates of violent crime.
“The devastating scenes at Bondi Junction are beyond words or understanding,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said at a news conference in Canberra.
“This was a horrific act of violence, indiscriminately targeting innocent people going about an ordinary Saturday, doing their shopping.”
He also commended those who had helped others “in the face of danger”.
“Bondi Junction was the scene of shocking violence, but it was also witness to the humanity and the heroism of our fellow Australians, our brave police, our first responders and of course, everyday people who could never have imagined that they would face such a moment.”
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Top: Police and paramedics work outside the Westfield Bondi Junction shopping mall after a stabbing incident in Sydney on Apr. 13, 2024. Photo: AFP/David Gray and published by CNA
First insert: Police cordon off the Westfield Bondi Junction shopping mall after a stabbing incident in Sydney on Apr. 13, 2024. Australian police said they received reports that “multiple people” were stabbed at the busy complex. Photo: AFP/David Gray and published by CNA
Second insert: Police enter the Westfield Bondi Junction shopping mall after a stabbing incident in Sydney on Apr. 13, 2024. Photo: AFP/David Gray and published by CNA
Third insert: People are led out of Westfield Bondi Junction mall in Sydney where multiple people were stabbed on Apr. 13, 2024.Photo: AP/Rick Rycroft and published by CNA
Front Page: A woman cries as she comes out of the Westfield Bondi Junction shopping mall after a stabbing incident in Sydney on Apr. 13, 2024. Photo: AFP/David Gray and published by CNA
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