Australian police have reported a tragic incident at Westfield Bondi Junction in Sydney, where six people were killed and several others, including a child, were injured in a mass stabbing. Police responded to reports of multiple stabbings on Saturday afternoon local time, with five individuals pronounced dead at the scene and another succumbing to injuries at the hospital later.
The lone suspect was shot dead by a police officer who arrived at the scene and engaged the attacker, according to Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke of New South Wales Police. The officer, acting alone, discharged her firearm when the assailant brandished a knife at her.
The attack unfolded when the suspect encountered nine individuals in the mall before leaving and reentering shortly afterward to carry out the assault. While authorities have not disclosed the perpetrator’s identity or motive, they emphasized that all possibilities are being considered.
Emergency services transported eight patients, including a child, to hospitals across Sydney. Eyewitness accounts and videos shared on social media depict chaotic scenes as shoppers fled the shopping center, with reports of people falling over each other amid the pandemonium.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albenese condemned the violence, acknowledging the heroism of first responders and civilians who faced the harrowing situation. He described the incident as “beyond words or understanding” and highlighted the unity and resilience of Australians in the face of such tragedy.
Mass casualty events are uncommon in Australia, with notable incidents including a mass shooting in Darwin in 2019 and the Port Arthur massacre in April 1996, which remains the deadliest in the country’s modern history.
