SYDNEY, AU – A horrific stabbing spree in Sydney’s Westfield Bondi Junction shopping center on Saturday left six people dead, including the perpetrator, who was shot dead by a police officer. The incident has left the city in shock and mourning.
The victims, as confirmed by New South Wales Police Commissioner Karen Webb in a press conference, were four women and one man who died at the shopping center, and another woman who passed away in the hospital. Additionally, eight individuals are being treated for injuries related to the attack.
The injured include a nine-month-old baby who has been operated on. The investigation into the crime scene is still underway and is expected to last for several days, according to Webb.
The attacker, a 40-year-old man known to the police, was shot dead by a lone officer after a confrontation. Despite the man’s previous police record, authorities do not believe this to be a terror-related incident.
Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke provided a detailed account of the incident, explaining how the officer bravely confronted the attacker, ultimately shooting him when he threatened her with a knife.
Witnesses recounted the terrifying ordeal, including one who helped a wounded baby and its mother until medical help arrived. The motive behind the attack is still unknown, but Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has labeled it a “horrific act of violence”, offering condolences to the grieving families.