At least four individuals were fatally stabbed in Westfield Bondi shopping center, with the attacker subsequently being shot dead
Several people have reportedly died in a major incident at Westfield shopping centre in Bondi, Sydney, as local media in Australia report it is being treated as a suspected terror incident
Police have declared a "critical incident" after multiple stabbings at a busy Australian shopping centre - with at least four people believed to be dead and one attacker shot by police.
Emergency services were called to the Westfield Shopping Centre at Bondi Junction in the city following reports that a man was also seen walking around with a knife. Shoppers were quickly evacuated with reports that multiple people - including a baby - had been attacked.
Multiple emergency vehicles were seen outside the building on Saturday as members of the public fled in panic. One man claimed he had been getting a haircut when he heard gunshots and the centre started being evacuated.
Australian media have reported there were multiple stabbings in the incident, and that one person had been shot by police, with the alarm raised shortly before 4pm local time (7am BST). People meanwhile have been urged to avoid the area.
One witness who was visibly in tears told Sky News: "Who does that to people? I saw a woman lying on the floor in Chanel. It was insane, it was insanity, I wasn’t expecting it. I thought I was going to die."
That was close… heard gunshots at Westfield Bondi Junction during haircut… then people running and shop shutters going down before evac siren. Thank you to staff at @justcutssalons BJ who helped us exit. Prayers for any victims. Please don’t let this be the new normal pic.twitter.com/Z9AOuPvCeb
— Mark Hudson (@mhudson) April 13, 2024
Mark Hudson wrote on X saying: "That was close… heard gunshots at Westfield Bondi Junction during haircut… then people running and shop shutters going down before evac siren. Thank you to staff at @justcutssalons BJ who helped us exit. Prayers for any victims. Please don’t let this be the new normal".
News website news.com.au reported witnesses claiming a man began stabbing shoppers at random before being shot by police. The Australian website reported that a nine-month-old baby was among those who were stabbed.
One witness who was locked inside a shop during the lockdown said she heard gunshots and "blood-curdling" screams, reports MailOnline. "We are absolutely terrified," she said. Witness Roi Huberman, an ABC sound engineer, meanwhile told the network that he sheltered in a store during the incident.
"And suddenly we heard a shot or maybe two shots and we didn’t know what to do," he said. "Then the very capable person in the store took us to the back where it can be locked. She then locked the store and then she then let us through the back and now we are out."
A spokesperson for Waverley Council said: "A police operation is currently under way at Westfield Bondi Junction. The centre is locked down amid reports of multiple stabbings. No further information is available at this stage. Please avoid any unnecessary travel to the Bondi Junction CBD."
New South Wales Police told The Mirror in their latest statement: "A critical incident has commenced following the shooting of male at Bondi Junction. Just before 4pm (Saturday 13 April 2024), emergency services were called to Westfield Bondi Junction following reports of multiple people stabbed.
"People are urged to avoid the area. Inquiries are continuing in relation to the incident and there are no further details." A spokesperson for New South Wales Ambulance service meanwhile said they had responded to "reports of a male running around Westfield with a knife."
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