Six people have died in a stabbing attack at Bondi Junction Westfield, a six-level shopping centre in Sydney’s east, as well as the attacker who was shot dead by police.
Police say a small child is among “more than several people” injured after the knife attack shortly after 3pm on Saturday. Some have critical or serious injuries.
Police were called to the popular shopping centre at 3:30pm, following reports multiple people had been stabbed. Hundreds of people were hiding inside shops and storerooms, as a man wielding what witnesses described as a “big blade” attacked shoppers.
A lone police officer who was nearby tracked him through the centre before shooting him dead when he turned and raised his knife at her.
The attacker has not yet been identified, and a motive for the attack has not yet been established. Police believe he acted alone and that there is no continuing active threat.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has praised the police officer who confronted and shot the attacker, saying “she is certainly a hero. There is no doubt that she saved lives through her action.”
A mother and her baby has been reported as being among those treated for stab wounds.
A motive for the attack has not yet been established. With the prime minister and the commissioner of the Australian Federal Police, Reece Kershaw, saying it was “too early to determine a motive” and warning it would be “unhelpful to speculate” at this stage.
Police say there are “not ruling out” that the attack could be a terrorist incident, but say there’s “nothing that we are aware of at the scene that would indicate any motive or any ideology”.
The centre remains closed, and a crime scene has been established.
A knife attacker has killed six people and wounded several others in a shopping centre in Sydney. Eight more people have been wounded – including a nine-month-old child who has undergone surgery. Four women and a man died in the shopping centre and another woman later died in hospital, police said.
The attacker was also shot dead by police after being confronted by a lone officer. Reports said that, when challenged, he raised the knife at the officer, who shot him dead.
The attacker has been identified as a 40-year-old man who was known to police, with officers adding they do not think he was motivated by terrorism.
Members of the UK’s royal family expressed their sadness at the attack. The king said “My wife and I were utterly shocked and horrified to hear of the tragic stabbing incident in Bondi. Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones of those who have been so brutally killed during such a senseless attack.”
The Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese has praised the police officer who confronted and shot the attacker, saying “she is certainly a hero. There is no doubt that she saved lives through her action”.
Emergency services were first called to Westfield Bondi Junction following reports multiple people had been stabbed at 3.30pm (6.30am UK time).
The supervisor of a luggage store in the shopping centre said he witnessed the attacker stab a woman, and saw the bodies of four people on the ground – including two security guards.
Yohan Francois Philip, aged 29, told the PA news agency he stayed inside the store with several colleagues and customers as “a growing movement of around 50-ish” ran past, before a woman approaching the shop banged on the door and asked to be let in.
As I was letting her in, the perpetrator fell behind her with a knife and I saw him and so did the other customers in the store locked in with us and so we quickly pulled her in, locked the door, he got up and we realised he just stabbed two security guards. Then he ran across, to the corner part of the luggage store, to the premium section, and he stabbed a woman which I saw happen right in front of me.
Philips, who also works as a lawyer, added:
There was a nurse in the store who was adamant she wanted to leave and help ... she wanted to go help the security guard and I said ‘I don’t know what’s going to happen if I open this door’ but, on her decision, I let her out.
We were still locked in the store at that point and we assumed the gunshots were actually gun fights between a police officer and him – that’s not the case now, but yeah. So we waited and waited until we had further instruction. The sirens are going off at that point. We’ve got a view of the back of our store onto the public street and we saw people running out of the store and then later on we saw ambulances and cops and bodies, people being wheeled out.
As he was eventually escorted outside by police officers, he “counted four bodies” on the ground in the shopping centre and witnessed the baby that was attacked during the stabbing spree being wheeled out of the building, he said.
King Charles III has expressed his sadness at the news of the attack.
My wife and I were utterly shocked and horrified to hear of the tragic stabbing incident in Bondi.
Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones of those who have been so brutally killed during such a senseless attack.
While details of these shocking circumstances are still emerging, our thoughts are also with those who were involved in the response, and we give thanks for the bravery of the first responders and emergency services.
Local police say a nine-month-old baby has undergone surgery after being attacked during the stabbing spree. It has been reported that the baby’s mother died in hospital after the attack by a lone knifeman.
The Australian website News.com.au reported the baby was stabbed in the stomach, and the mother had subsequently died in hospital.
New South Wales Police Commissioner Karen Webb has told a press conference:
The last update I had was that [the baby] had been in surgery and it’s too early to say really. But it’s awful.
Asked about the reports the baby’s mother had died in hospital, Webb said: “I’ve heard that same rumour but I can’t confirm that.”
A witness to the stabbings said he helped the baby and mother after they were attacked. The man told 9News Sydney he saw the stabbings, and that the child’s mother gave him her baby as they were both injured.
The man’s brother said:
He helped with holding the baby and trying to compress the baby and same with the mother. We just kept yelling out to get some clothes, get some shirts and just help us to compress and stop the baby from bleeding. With my brother holding the baby so well and really compressing, I think the baby’s fine
We were just shopping and saw the man run up to the woman with the baby and then we were both ready to go and help out.
But I just said to my brother, we’ve got to run in – ran in, told the guys to lock up the doors and then the mother came with the baby bleeding, stabbed. We got them into the store and just got them safe and then rang for help.
Acting premier, Penny Shape, has described the Bondi Junction attack as “beyond distressing” and thanked the police for their work.
Speaking late on Saturday evening, she said:
This is not who we are. This is not the community that we live in. This is not something that any person or any member of our community should have had to experience. It’s shocking. I’m personally distressed by this, as I’m sure everybody is.
Sharpe said she had convened a crisis cabinet to brief key ministers ahead of the premier’s expected arrival back in Sydney on Sunday.
Chris Minns had arrived in Japan for a week-long holiday on Saturday evening before announcing he would return following news of the attack.
We are shocked and saddened by the terrible events in Sydney earlier today. Our thoughts are with all those affected, including the loved ones of those lost and the heroic emergency responders who risked their own lives to save others. W & C
Guardian employee recounts her escape from the scene
Guardian production editor Nikki Marshall was in the Bondi Westfield when the attack began. She recounts how she escaped the centre:
I was on the fourth floor of the David Jones department store at Bondi Junction Westfield at 3.35pm when another shopper came up behind me and said: “There’s been a stabbing, it’s happening – a shooting, stabbing – we have to go.”
I could see in her face that she had seen something, and it was real. I think she was clutching her daughter’s hand.
I headed towards the rear of the store, looking for a fire escape. I found a cupboard with a fire extinguisher in it. It was tiny and dark and I was afraid to close the door fully, so decided it didn’t give me much protection and I kept moving.
Around a corner I found a fire escape with half a dozen shoppers standing outside it. A few were saying, should we leave? I realised they’d only heard shouting and weren’t sure what was happening.
Mark Speakman, leader of the NSW Opposition has released the following statement on the attack:
Tonight we are shocked and saddened by today’s tragedy at Bondi Junction. The NSW Police have advised that the situation is now under control.
Our hearts go out to the victims, their families and loved ones.
The NSW Opposition expresses our gratitude to our police, health workers, other first responders and members of the public, and particularly to those who displayed extraordinary bravery in the face of tragedy.
We pray for the speedy recovery of those in hospital tonight. Now, and in the coming days and weeks, it’s important that those affected by this tragedy receive the care and support they need.
As a community we’ll need to come together to support those who have suffered injury, loss and trauma today.
Six people have been killed in a stabbing attack at Bondi Junction Westfield, a six-level shopping centre in Sydney’s east.
The attacker, a 40-year-old man who has yet to be formally identified by police, was also killed – he was shot dead by police. He is believed to have acted alone and the attack is not believed to be terrorism-related.
Police say that “more than several people” were injured in the attack shortly after 3pm on Saturday. Some have critical or serious injuries.
Among the injured is a nine-month-old baby who has undergone surgery and is being treated at hospital. Police sources have told Guardian Australia that the baby’s mother was the sixth victim of the attack and died in hospital after being stabbed.
Police were called to the popular shopping centre at 3:30pm, following reports multiple people had been stabbed. Hundreds of people were hiding inside shops and storerooms, or fleeing the shopping centre in panicked scenes, as a man wielding what witnesses described as a “big blade” attacked shoppers.
A lone police officer who was nearby tracked him through the centre before shooting him dead when he turned and raised his knife at her.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has praised the police officer who confronted and shot the attacker, saying “she is certainly a hero. There is no doubt that she saved lives through her action.”
A motive for the attack has not yet been established, with the prime minister and the commissioner of the Australian Federal Police, Reece Kershaw, saying it was “too early” and warning it would be “unhelpful to speculate” at this stage.
Police say they believe they know the identity of the attacker, who is a 40-year-old man, known to police. But they are waiting on formal identification and have not released his name.
Police do not believe the attack to be ideologically motivated and say they believe there is no ongoing threat to the community.
The centre remains closed, and a crime scene has been established.
Peter Dutton releases statement praising heroism of officers and first responders
The opposition leader Peter Dutton has put out a statement on social media platform X about the incident. He wrote:
Australians will be in shock this evening at the tragic and terrifying events which have taken place at Westfield Bondi Junction.
We grieve for the five people who have been killed. We pray for those who have been rushed to hospital with injuries. We are thinking of all those families whose loved ones have been caught up in this attack.
He also praised the “heroism” of police officers and first responders, “in particular, the bravery of one female officer who neutralised the assailant”. As well as the “brave shopkeepers and staff who helped shoppers shelter amidst the chaos.
We thank everyday Australians who helped each other get to safety and those who provided comfort to others in distress.
Australians will be in shock this evening at the tragic and terrifying events which have taken place at Westfield Bondi Junction.
We grieve for the five people who have been killed.
We pray for those who have been rushed to hospital with injuries.
Our NSW state correspondent Tamsin Rose was at the press conference held by Karen Webb, the NSW police commissioner, that has just wrapped up. She has video of Webb’s statement.
Commissioner Karen Webb speaking about the #BondiJunction stabbing. Four women died in shopping centre, one died in hospital. One man died in the centre. Further eight in hospitals including a nine month old. pic.twitter.com/A7wPTI1uax
Police confirm sixth victim was the mother of infant who is currently in hospital
Police sources have confirmed that the sixth victim – a woman who died in hospital following the stabbing attack – is the mother of the nine-month-old baby who was also a victim of the attack and is currently receiving treatment in hospital.
