Six people were killed and several others injured in a stabbing rampage Saturday afternoon at a crowded major mall in Sydney, a rare act of mass violence in Australia.
The attacker was shot and killed by a lone police officer who was directed into the mall by people fleeing the scene, police said. The officer was following the man with the knife, trying to catch up to him when he turned to face her and raised the weapon, according to the police. The officer then opened fire, saving lives, Anthony Cooke, police assistant commissioner for the New South Wales Police, said at a news briefing.
The man stabbed about nine people as he moved through the mall Saturday afternoon, Assistant Commissioner Cooke said. Emergency responders said eight people were transported to area hospitals. Some of the injured are in critical condition, including a small child, he said.
The attacker acted alone, and there is no continuing threat, he said.
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The police said the attacker’s motive was unclear, but there were no immediate indications that it was a hate crime.
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The attack happened in Bondi Junction, a busy commercial district in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, a wealthy area near the coast.
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Multiple calls about a stabbing began coming from people at the mall, the Westfield Bondi Junction, shortly after 3:30 p.m.
Damien Cave contributed reporting.