Six killed as hundreds flee Sydney shopping centre after stabbing attack

Six people have reportedly died during a stabbing spree at a Sydney shopping centre on Saturday, with “many more” in critical condition.

The Sydney Morning Herald confirmed the deaths with local authorities and say that police have shot one person. Unconfirmed reports have said that the attacker was shot dead outside a discount shop.

Hundreds of people on Saturday were evacuated from the Bondi Junction Westfield with a major police operation underway at the site near Bondi Beach.

Australian television network Nine News has interviewed witnesses who said they saw a mother and baby both covered in blood. The mother and the baby were both said to have injuries.

(AFP via Getty Images)

The Australian Broadcasting Corp reported that shots were fired – something two witnesses also confirmed.

Witnesses have said that the attacker was seen with both a knife and a gun.

New South Wales Police held a press conference at 5.45pm local time (around 8.45am GMT) to give the latest.

The force previously said in a statement: “A critical incident has commenced following the shooting of a male at Bondi Junction.

“Just before 4pm, emergency services were called to Westfield Bondi Junction following reports of multiple people stabbed.”

Several posts on social media showed crowds fleeing the mall and police cars and emergency services rushing to the scene.

One of the witnesses said they saw a woman lying on the ground before sheltering in a jewellery store.

Ted Hellier tweeted: “Something just went down at Westfields Bondi junction. We were up there and all of a sudden all these people running towards us.

“Next thing dozens and dozens of people all running a screaming some bloke yells ‘someone is stabbing everyone get out of here’.”

A witness told the Sydney Morning Herald: “People were so confused and we were told a guy was stabbing people on the floors below.

“I heard a man scream as we were about to go down the escalator.”

Reports suggested that the action was centered around the Coles shop – a local supermarket.

Another witness said: “It was just general pandemonium trying to get out of there.

“A lady, she had fallen over on the escalator.”

Shoppers had been put into a lockdown hold but have now been released.

The incident happened around 4.15pm local time and shoppers were held until around one hour after.

Guy Johnston told the Sydney Morning Herald that he heard several gun shots and screams of shoppers.

“You’d never expect something like this in Sydney,” he said.

Commanders are now gathered around the huge crime scene which will take around two days to process, according to reports.

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