Five people were killed and eight others injured, including a nine-month-old child, in a random stabbing attack at Sydney’s Westfield shopping mall on Saturday afternoon.
New South Wales Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cook confirmed the fatalities and injuries at a press conference following the incident. The injured were transported to various Sydney hospitals, with several in critical condition, according to international media reports citing Cook.
Authorities identified the attacker, who was shot and killed by police after the rampage. The identities of the victims have not yet been released.
Reports from the BBC indicate the attacker entered the mall at 3:10 pm and left ten minutes later, at 3:20 pm, after the stabbing spree. Hundreds of shoppers fled the scene in the aftermath, while police evacuated the remaining occupants.
Dozens of ambulances responded to the incident. The New South Wales Police Force is investigating the motive behind the attack.
