Saturday afternoon turned into a nightmare in Sydney, Australia as a brutal knife attack at the Westfield Bondi Junction mall complex, left six people dead, with eight people injured including a 9-month-old. Australian police responded to distressing reports of multiple stabbings in the bustling shopping center, which was packed with weekend shoppers.
New South Wales Assistant Police Commissioner Anthony Cooke informed reporters that the 40-year-old suspect was shot by a police inspector after he turned and raised a knife. As the chaos ensued, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the violence saying, “This was a horrific act of violence, indiscriminately targeting innocent people going about an ordinary Saturday doing their shopping.”
Eyewitnesses recounted harrowing scenes of terror. Reese Colmenares, who sought refuge in a hardware store, described the heart-wrenching sight of a baby with stab wounds being attended to by its terrified mother. “The mother was terrified, the mother was sad, just holding (and) comforting the baby,” Colmenares recounted. Amid the turmoil, one unnamed eyewitness hailed the swift actions of law enforcement, stating, “If she did not shoot him, he would have kept going, he was on the rampage.”
Commissioner Karen Webb disclosed that among the casualties were six victims — five women and a man — along with the suspect. She further stated that the injured individuals, including the infant, were receiving treatment at hospitals, though the baby’s condition remained uncertain. “We are confident that there is no ongoing risk, and we are dealing with one person who is now deceased,” Webb assured in a subsequent briefing, adding, “It’s not a terrorism incident.”
While the identity of the assailant has not been disclosed, authorities are actively investigating his motives. Cooke stated that a “lengthy and precise” investigation was just commencing.
AP
