Five dead, multiple injured in Sydney shopping center stabbing rampage

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - Tragedy struck a bustling shopping center in Sydney on Saturday as five individuals fell victim to a stabbing rampage, leaving several others injured, including a small child, according to authorities.

The horrifying incident unfolded when a lone assailant initiated a stabbing spree, targeting nine individuals within the mall premises.

Assistant Police Commissioner Anthony Cooke briefed reporters, revealing that the assailant was neutralized by a police inspector after attacking multiple victims.

Cooke disclosed that five individuals succumbed to their injuries as a result of the attack. “I'm advised that there are five victims who are now deceased as a result of the actions of this offender. There are more than several other people who have been conveyed to hospital. A number of those are in serious and critical conditions at this stage, and I do not have further information in relation to descriptions of those people. I know one of them is a small child.”

Confirming the suspect acted alone, Cooke assured the public that there is no ongoing threat. However, he emphasized the preliminary nature of the investigation, stating that authorities have yet to ascertain the identity of the perpetrator and discern a motive behind the heinous act.

"As he moved through the center he engaged with about nine people. And it's clear that during that engagement he caused harm to those people, we believe by stabbing them with a weapon he was carrying," Cooke expressed, underscoring the gravity of the situation.

As the situation unfolded, authorities swiftly evacuated shoppers from Westfield Shopping Centre in Bondi Junction, situated in the eastern suburbs of Sydney. Reports from ABC TV in Australia detailed the chaotic scene, with one alleged offender being shot by police while the search for the other suspect continued.

“A single unit officer, inspector of police, was nearby, attended, went into the scene and directed by a range of people, she confronted the offender who had moved by this stage to level five, as she continued to walk quickly behind him to catch up with him, he turned, faced her, raised a knife, she discharged the firearm and that person is now deceased,” Cooke highlighted.

The New South Wales ambulance spokesperson informed that individuals were still present inside the shopping center amidst the commotion.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported four fatalities resulting from the stabbing, although police could not immediately confirm the exact toll. Furthermore, the newspaper indicated that one individual was shot, but the status of their condition remained unclear.

Paramedics promptly responded to the scene, administering aid to those injured in the ordeal.

As authorities continue their investigation into the tragic incident, the community mourns the loss of lives and grapples with the aftermath of the senseless violence that befell their midst.