Six people reportedly died after a man with a knife attacked terrified shoppers in a busy shopping mall in Sydney, Australia.
According to witnesses, the assailant stabbed five people, including a baby and her mother.
The assailant, who was later killed by police, was not identified. Eight people were injured during the incident, and one of them is in critical condition.
After arriving at the mall, armed law enforcers evacuated terrified individuals.
People were seen fleeing the mall as the police arrived at the scene at around 3.45 p.m., according to reports.
Two men told 9News that they helped a woman and her baby after they were stabbed. They said they saw a man running towards them with the child.
The men said they then entered the mall and tried to help the mother and her baby, who were stabbed.
They then used clothes from the store they were hiding in to compress the child’s wounds. The Australian reported that the infant was taken to a children’s hospital.
All of the victims were taken to the hospital in critical condition. One woman, who identified herself as Aviva, said she saw two bodies on the ground as she was driving.
A witness reportedly tried to stop the suspect by hitting him with a pole.
According to footage, he was at the top of an escalator when the alleged assailant took out his knife.
Ellie Williams, who was finishing up lunch with her friend, said she saw people running and screaming after the incident happened. She said she heard multiple gunshots before the police arrived.
Several ambulances and emergency vehicles arrived at the mall after the police confirmed that a man was shot.
In a statement, the NSW Police said that the incident at Bondi Junction had started after a male was shot.
Emergency services were also called to the mall after reports of multiple people being stabbed.
The police asked people to avoid the area and said that they were still investigating the incident.