DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY,
Suspect is shot dead , police say he acted alone and there was ‘no continuing threat’.
Five people have been killed and several others injured after a man used a knife to attack people at a Sydney shopping centre in Australia before being shot dead by police.
Anthony Cooke, New South Wales police assistant commissioner, told a news conference on Saturday that the man was killed by a female police officer responding to the scene at the Westfield Bondi Junction mall complex.
“There are more than several people who have been conveyed to hospital, a number of those are in serious or critical condition at this stage,” he said.
“Preliminary investigations show this person has acted alone. I am content that there is no continuing threat,” Cooke said, adding that police have seen no evidence pointing to the possible motivations of the attacker, but they are ruling nothing out.
Eight people, including a nine-month-old baby and her mother, were rushed to hospital following the attack.
Images and footage from inside the mall showed a male attacker wearing shorts and a sports jersey who was carrying a bloody knife. Several people inside the mall used bollards to try to stop the attacker. Videos also show victims on the ground, with emergency responders administering CPR to one victim.
Initial reports and accounts from the scene indicate the attacker was shot dead by a police officer.
The sprawling shopping centre was packed with shoppers when the incidents occurred. Located media reported that hundreds of people were evacuated from the shopping centre, with social media posts showed crowds fleeing and police cars and emergency services rushing to the area.
This is a developing story. More to come …
