(Sydney) A knife attack left six dead and several injured, including a 9-month-old baby, on Saturday in a crowded shopping center in Sydney, said Australian police, who did not rule out the “terrorist” possibility.
New South Wales state police official Karen Webb said there were five women and one man. An injured nine-month-old baby required emergency surgery.
The attacker, unidentified, was chased and shot dead by a police officer hailed for her heroism.
Eight injured people, including the baby, were taken to hospital. “They all have traumatic injuries,” said the New South Wales state emergency services spokesperson.
PHOTO DAVID GRAY, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
The motive for the attack was not immediately specified, but police said the “terrorist” trail could not be ruled out at this stage.
“I don’t yet know who he is (the attacker, Editor’s note). You will understand that this is a very complex matter. The investigations are very recent and we continue to try to identify the culprit,” added Anthony Cooke, deputy commissioner of the state police.
The tragedy occurred at the sprawling Westfield Bondi Junction shopping complex, which was packed with shoppers on Saturday afternoon. The scene was cordoned off by police who called on the population to avoid the area.
PHOTO DAVID GRAY, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Police officers preparing to enter Westfield Bondi Junction shopping center
The attacker appears to have acted alone, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said at a press conference. “For all of us this evening, the appalling scenes at Bondi Junction are beyond words and beyond comprehension,” he added.
Mr. Albanese paid tribute to the bravery of passers-by who helped each other and the police officer who intervened in defiance of danger. “She is certainly a hero. She undoubtedly saved lives by doing so,” he said.
King Charles III, British sovereign but also head of state of Australia, said in a statement that he was “horrified” by this “senseless” aggression.
Surveillance camera footage broadcast by Australian media showed a man with a large knife running through the shopping center, and injured people lying on the ground.
” It was scary ”
Pranjul Bokaria was leaving work and doing some shopping when the attack took place. She ran to a nearby store and took refuge in a break room. “It was scary, there were people crying,” she told AFP.
She then escaped through a fire exit with other customers and employees, onto a back street. “I am alive and grateful,” she said.
PHOTO DAVID GRAY, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
People evacuated from Westfield Bondi Junction shopping center
Other witnesses told AFP there was panic, with people seeking shelter while police tried to secure the area.
Around 4 p.m. local time (2 a.m. Eastern), Reece Colmenares was on her way to the gym when she saw “people running and screaming” that someone had been stabbed. She then took refuge in a hardware store with 10 to 12 other people.
“They took us down (into a room) and closed the store,” she told AFP. “It’s scary, there were small children, elderly people and people in wheelchairs.”
A Sydney nurse says she parked her car and then “heard someone yelling to run”.
Several people took refuge in a supermarket, where they stayed for about an hour.
As night fell, dozens of police and ambulances were still outside the mall, stretchers ready to transport the injured to nearby hospitals.
This type of attack is extremely rare in Australia. In November 2018, an individual armed with a knife killed one person and injured two others on a Melbourne street before being shot dead by police. The crime was claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group.