Attack in Sydney: Man kills six people in shopping center

In a Sydney suburb, a man with a knife killed six people and stabbed several others in a shopping center. The Australian police announced this on Saturday. The New South Wales state police also confirmed the death of the perpetrator. He was shot by a police officer during a confrontation.

The police initially reported five deaths in the afternoon. A sixth person died of his injuries in hospital, the Australian broadcaster ABC quoted a police spokesman as saying on Saturday evening, just a few hours after the incident.

It was initially unclear who the sixth fatality was. According to the emergency and rescue services, eight people, including a small child, were taken to various hospitals in Sydney. The Australian broadcaster ABC had previously reported that the baby was nine months old.

The police initially did not provide any further information about the attacker. Reports of a possible second attacker were not confirmed. The police did not rule out a terrorist background, but were unable to provide any information about the motive.

Customers brought a police officer to the scene

Police reported that the man first entered the shopping center in the suburb of Bondi Junction at 3:10 p.m. local time and then left again. He then returned around 3:20 p.m. and began his attack. The police officer was nearby and was led to the crime scene in the shopping center by customers, New South Wales Deputy Police Commissioner Anthony Cooke said at a press conference. “She confronted the perpetrator, who was already on the fifth floor at the time. As she continued to run quickly to catch up with him, he turned around and held out a knife to her. She discharged a firearm,” Cooke said. The alleged perpetrator died.

The shopping center was immediately evacuated. Hundreds of people stormed into the streets. Some are said to have cried. According to them, there was a body lying on the ground. Eyewitnesses told ABC that a man ran into the shopping center with a knife and stabbed customers. The station “9 News” showed a video showing the alleged perpetrator walking through the shopping center with a knife in his right hand. He was wearing a sports t-shirt with a pattern in the shape of a large “V” on it. Some of the people were only a few meters away from him. In the video he appears to be randomly following different people. Another video shows the same armed man on an escalator being held at bay by another person.

No evidence of motive at the crime scene

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spoke of “devastating events” on Platform X on Saturday. “Tragically, multiple fatalities have been reported and the first thoughts of all Australians are with those affected and their families,” he said.

Police had previously urged the public to avoid the area. According to their initial investigations, the alleged perpetrator acted alone. “I am confident there is no ongoing threat,” said Deputy Chief Cooke. The police do not yet know who the man is. Nothing was found at the crime scene that would indicate a possible motive or ideology of the armed perpetrator. Cooke said he expected a “long and precise” investigation.

Two eyewitnesses told The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper that they were shopping when they saw about 20 people walking down an escalator. Someone shouted, “There’s a man stabbing people!” reported Hannah Bodrozic and Guy Johnston. There was chaos and they didn't know where to run. The shops around them had their shutters down. Then they heard three shots.

Witness: “The worst thing I’ve ever experienced”

Numerous ambulances and police vehicles were parked on the streets outside the shopping center. The Westfield Shopping Mall is located in the Bondi Junction area east of Sydney, which is particularly busy at weekends. Sydney's city center and the famous Bondi Beach are just a few minutes' drive away. ABC reporter Lia Harris reported that dozens, if not hundreds, of police stormed the mall.

Armed police officers also gathered on the roofs of the surrounding buildings. “It's swarming with emergency services,” the reporter told the television station. Another ABC employee reported how he and other customers left a store through a back door. He praised the exemplary actions of the sales staff in the emergency. One young woman described the incident as “the worst thing I have ever experienced”. She saw a woman lying on the floor in a luxury clothing store. She was very scared and feared that she would die. “It's just that everything, every moment, is in my head,” she added.