Five dead and multiple people including baby stabbed during knifeman’s rampage at Sydney shopping centre

13 April 2024, 08:02 | Updated: 13 April 2024, 10:05

Five people have been killed and a number of others are in critical condition after being stabbed in a Sydney shopping centre.

At least five people have died and nine people were stabbed in the attack in Westfield mall at Bondi junction, New South Wales Police said.

A nine month old baby is said to be among those injured.

The attacker has since been shot dead by police.

Anthony Cooke, assistant commissioner of New South Wales Police Force, said in a press conference on Saturday: "A man walked into Westfield at Bondi Junction, he left the centre very shortly after and returned at about 20 past three; as he moved through the centre he engaged with about nine people.

"It is clear that during that engagement he caused harm to those people, we believe by stabbing them with a weapon he was carrying.

"Very clearly a range of reports were made on the incident, police attended promptly - a single unit officer, inspector of police, was nearby, attended, (and) went into the centre 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 to catch up with him he turned to face her, raised a knife, she discharged a firearm and that person is now deceased."

The force said they believe the perpetrator acted alone and that he is no longer a threat to the public, following previous reports there had been a second attacker on the run.

Police also said they do not know of "any motive or any ideology" at this stage.

Asked by reporters if he would rule out terrorism, Mr Cooke said "we're not ruling anything out".

He said: "This all happened very, very quickly - the officer that was in the vicinity attended on her own, was guided to the location of the offender by people who were in the centre.

"She took the actions that she did saving a range of people's lives; (she was) an inspector, a senior police officer - she was on her own. She engaged immediately on her arrival to the scene.

"I don't have any indication of any motivation coming from the scene at all."

A small child has been taken to hospital and Mr Cooke said he did not know if any other children have been injured.

Earlier, witnesses reported that a man had been attacking shoppers in the mall at random before being shot by police.

New South Wales Police said in an earlier statement: "A critical incident has commenced following the shooting of a male at Bondi Junction.

"Just before 4pm, emergency services were called to Westfield Bondi Junction following reports of multiple people stabbed."

Johnny, 33, who was visiting from the New South Wales Central Coast told the BBC that he saw a woman carrying a baby being attacked.

He told the broadcaster: “She was getting stabbed. Everyone was in shock [and] didn't know what to do.”

He said she then made a run for a nearby shop, and staff locked the doors once she made it inside.

“Some of the other shoppers were using clothing and things to try and… stop the bleeding,” he said.

“The baby only had a minor wound, but the lady was pretty bad… there was a lot of blood and she was panicking.”

One eyewitness told ABC News: “I was hiding in the backroom. I was hearing gunshots. It's just the worst thing ever, who does that to people?

"I saw a woman lying on the floor in Chanel.

"I didn't see him properly, I was running. It's just insanity - I wasn't expecting it.

"I thought I was going to die. Every moment was playing through my head, I was so scared."

Photos from the scene show ambulances and police vehicles outside the shopping centre.

Waverley Council said on X: "A critical incident has commenced following the shooting of male at Bondi Junction. Just before 4pm today, emergency services were called to Westfield Bondi Junction following reports of multiple people stabbed. People are urged to avoid the area."

Videos shared on social media show a man carrying a large knife as he stalks through the shopping centre.

One eyewitness told Reuters that they saw someone lying on the floor injured after the incident broke out before they left to hide in a nearby shop.

They said: “Then we saw all these people running towards us and then we heard a shot and my husband dragged us into the Adairs shop and then we got the lady there trying to lock the doors and then she couldn't lock the front door so we went in the office which was all locked and then we were in there until the police came to get us.”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: "Tragically, multiple casualties have been reported and the first thoughts of all Australians are with those affected and their loved ones."