The infant, who sustained severe injuries, underwent surgery following the attack.
The incident, which took place at the Westfield Bondi Junction shopping centre, was captured in a chilling video that showed the assailant wielding a large knife. Shoppers were seen seeking refuge in stores while a courageous individual attempted to confront the attacker on an escalator.
The perpetrator, believed to be a 40-year-old male previously known to law enforcement, was shot dead by a police inspector. Although his identity remains unconfirmed, authorities have established that he acted alone and that the incident was not linked to terrorism.
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The assailant's violent rampage resulted in the deaths of four women and one man at the shopping centre. Another woman succumbed to her injuries in the hospital. Eight more individuals are currently receiving treatment in various hospitals across Sydney.
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Eyewitness accounts painted a grim picture of the scene. One witness recounted seeing an infant with stab wounds, with the visibly terrified mother trying to comfort her child as they were escorted to an ambulance. Other witnesses reported hearing gunshots as they hid inside stores. One witness described the attacker, saying, "He had a nice big blade on him. He looked like he was on a killing spree.”
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The mother of the nine-month-old infant, who was also a victim of the attack, reportedly handed her baby to bystanders while grappling with her own injuries. Tragically, she later died in the hospital.
A man who spoke to 9News Sydney recounted the harrowing moment, saying, “The baby got stabbed. The mum got stabbed and came over with a baby and threw it at me - I was holding the baby, it looked pretty bad. There was a lot of blood on the floor.”
His brother added, “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.”
Shoppers at the mall displayed remarkable courage and resourcefulness, providing makeshift medical aid to victims and attempting to stop the attacker as he rampaged through the busy shopping centre.
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New South Wales' highest-ranking police officer, Commissioner Karen Webb, expressed her gratitude to the shopkeepers and shoppers who “showed amazing courage and bravery”.
Australia’s prime minister Anthony Albanese commended the victims who, despite being targeted while going about their daily lives, instinctively chose to help others in the face of danger.
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Footage from the scene showed a man confronting the attacker with a bollard from the top of an escalator. Other videos showed people trying to move the injured to safety and help others hide in shops.
A female police officer who shot the knife-wielding attacker dead has been hailed as a hero. The New South Wales Police officer was among the first responders to the scene and reportedly fired at the attacker after he lunged at her.
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Yohan Francois Philip, a supervisor at a luggage store in the mall, also witnessed the gruesome scene. He recounted how a woman approached his shop, banging on the door for safety. As he let her in, the attacker fell behind her with a knife. Philip and the customers in the store quickly pulled her in and locked the door.
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In the aftermath of the attack, King Charles and Queen Camilla released a statement expressing their shock and horror at the senseless violence. They extended their condolences to the victims' families and loved ones and expressed gratitude for the bravery of the first responders and emergency services.
Prince William and Kate also sent their condolences to the victims of the Bondi shopping mall attack, expressing their shock and sadness at the news.
The horrific incident has left Sydney and the world in shock, as authorities continue their investigations and the survivors grapple with the aftermath of the senseless violence.
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