TRANSCRIPT
Six people have died and others have been seriously injured, including a baby, after a knife-wielding man went on a stabbing spree at a Sydney shopping centre before he was shot dead by police.
Emergency services were called to Westfield Bondi Junction in Sydney's eastern suburbs about 3.40pm on Saturday after reports of an attack which sent hundreds of people fleeing the centre.
New South Wales Police confirmed the deaths on Saturday night.
New South Wales Police assistant commissioner Tony Cooke says the man engaged with nine people before a senior police officer shot the attacker after he refused to drop the weapon.
"There are more than several other people who have been conveyed to hospital, a number of those are in serious and or critical conditions at this stage and I do not have further information in relation to descriptions of those people I know one of them is a small child, as is the case in these incidents, a critical incident has been declared and investigations."
Dozens of paramedics treated patients at the scene, and police declared a critical incident.
Multiple posts on social media showed crowds of people outside the shopping centre.
These shoppers and workers describe scenes of chaos and fear.
"I was in a lunch break - I work in the Westfield food court. I heard some noise and I then I was looking (at) exactly what's happening, then a lot of people (were) just running everywhere and I asked them what was happening and (they said) 'there is a guy with a knife'." Voxxie 2: "Literally 20 metres away you just hear a gun go off, and you're just like, 'what's going on?' So yeah - a lot of shock. And I was worried, I guess my main concern was for the people still in the Woolworths, because there must have been at least 30 people in there."
SBS Italian reporter Domenico Gentile was also inside Westfield when the incident occurred.
"I was there when I heard these three shots. And I feel immediately the panic that followed and the shops closing down. After that we all took refuge wherever we could, because there were no direction. There was no police at the time, and I went into a Harris farm. We were evacuated and as soon as I got out, I immediately saw the massive presence of police, the ambulances and so on."
Police said the attacker acted alone and there was no longer a threat.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the events are devastating.
"This was a horrific act of violence, indiscriminately targeting innocent people going about an ordinary Saturday doing their shopping. Tonight the first thoughts of all Australians are with the victims of these terrible acts and their loved ones. Our nation offers our deepest condolences and sympathies, to all those who are grieving for someone they have lost and we send our strength to those who have been injured."
The investigation is ongoing but police say there is no continuing threat and police are not ruling out terrorism.
