The number of people who have been confirmed dead following an attack by a knife-wielding assailant in a Sydney shopping centre Saturday has climbed to six, police have confirmed.
The attacker was shot dead at the scene by a senior policewoman.
“One last person died at the hospital,” a New South Wales police spokesman told reporters.
The unidentified attacker attacked many individuals before being shot and killed at the scene by a policewoman.
The scene of the event was the expansive Westfield Bondi Junction shopping complex, which was crowded with people on a Saturday afternoon.
“I’m advised that there are five victims who are now deceased as a result of the actions of this offender,” said New South Wales police assistant commissioner Anthony Cooke.
The motive was not immediately clear, but Cooke said “terrorism” could not be ruled out at this stage.
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“I do not know at this stage who he is. You would understand this is quite raw. Inquiries are very new and we are continuing to make attempts to identify the offender in this matter,” said Cooke.
A New South Wales Ambulance spokesperson told reporters that eight patients were taken to various hospitals across Sydney, including a young child who was taken to the city’s Children’s Hospital.
“They all have traumatic injuries,” the official said.
Security camera footage broadcast by local media showed a man wearing an Australian rugby league jersey running around the shopping centre with a large knife and injured people lying lifeless on the floor.
Eyewitnesses described a scene of panic, with shoppers scrambling to safety and police trying to secure the area.
As night fell, dozens of police and ambulances were still outside the shopping complex, with stretchers ready to take people to nearby hospitals.
The sound of police sirens and helicopters filled the air.
The mall has been locked down and police have urged people to avoid the area.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese echoed Australians’ sadness and shock at the attack.
“Tragically, multiple casualties have been reported and the first thoughts of all Australians are with those affected and their loved ones,” he wrote on social media platform X.
Such attacks are virtually unheard of in Australia, which has relatively low rates of violent crime.