People are led out from the Westfield Shopping Centre where multiple people were stabbed in Sydney. Picture: AP Photo/Rick Rycroft
Tragedy struck the bustling atmosphere of Sydney’s eastern suburbs as at least four individuals lost their lives in a horrifying incident at Bondi Junction’s Westfield shopping centre. The calamity unfolded on Saturday afternoon when a man, without warning, began indiscriminately shooting and stabbing unsuspecting shoppers.
The toll of casualties, however, may rise as eight additional individuals, including a child, were swiftly transported to hospitals across Sydney. Their current conditions remain undisclosed.
Chaos erupted around 4 pm (local time) with reports of multiple stabbings within the bustling shopping complex. Witnesses describe scenes of sheer terror as a man, reportedly armed with a knife, ran amok, leaving bystanders in a state of shock and confusion.
“We didn’t really know where to go. We tried to go back in the other building but there were people running down that direction,” recounted Hannah Bodrozic, who was shopping in Country Road at the time. “Then we heard three gunshots and everyone just started screaming.”
In a swift response, heavily armed tactical operations police descended upon the scene “Heavily armed tactical operations police responded and shot a male offender,” as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald.
“Police responded to reports of multiple people stabbed at Bondi Westfield just before 4 pm,” reported authorities.
Harrowing eyewitness accounts paint a picture of pandemonium within the shopping centre as terrified shoppers scrambled for safety. The sudden eruption of violence shattered the tranquility of the bustling retail hub, leaving scores of people traumatised and reeling from the ordeal.
“You’d never expect something like this in Sydney,” remarked Guy Johnston, who witnessed the chaos unfold, according to local media reports.
The sheer scale of the incident has prompted a massive law enforcement response, with officers from various commands converging on the scene to secure the area and launch a thorough investigation, The Sydney Morning Herald reported. (With inputs from ANI)
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