Sydney mall knife attack leaves 6 dead, suspect shot dead by police

A suspect was shot dead on Saturday after stabbing and shooting six people in a busy Sydney shopping mall, local media reported. Hundreds of people were evacuated from Westfield Bondi Junction near Bondi Beach after a stabbing and shooting.

Seven other people were injured in the incident, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. Authorities confirmed the suspect was shot dead by a female NSW Police officer.

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) quoted New South Wales Police Commissioner Karen Webb as saying that the suspect was a 40-year-old man known to the police. She added that the attack was “not a terrorism incident” and police believed there was no ongoing risk.

The attack took place in the city’s eastern suburbs at around 3.40pm (local time) and emergency services were called to the mall just before 4pm following reports that multiple people had been stabbed.

A mother and her nine-month-old child were stabbed. Two men rescued them, thwarted the suspect’s further attempts to attack them, and used clothes from the store to stop the baby’s bleeding.

Nine News reported the mother later died in hospital following the stabbing.

Witnesses said they also heard gunshots in the air.

Following the evacuation, police launched an operation at the mall and emergency services arrived to respond to the stabbing.

Several posts on social media showed people fleeing the mall in panic as police cars and emergency services rushed to the area.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) briefed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra about the Sydney attack.

In response to the incident, Albanese wrote on The people affected and their loved ones.”

“Our hearts go out to those who were injured and we express our gratitude to those who cared for them and to our brave police officers and first responders,” he said.

“The attacker was wearing a hoodie and locked himself up”

Witness Ellie Williams (21) said she was eating lunch in the food court on the top floor of the shopping center when she saw people running and screaming, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

She described the attacker, who was wearing a hoodie and wielding a knife, chasing the crowd.

“People were very confused and we were told a man was stabbing people downstairs. People were locked in the shop and we looked down and saw a man in a hoodie with a knife chasing people,” she said.

Another witness, who did not want to be named, said she was about to enter a Coles supermarket in the mall when she saw the man pull out a knife and then shoot into the store. She said she ran away on her own.