Five people were killed and several others injured in a stabbing rampage Saturday afternoon at a crowded major mall in Sydney, Australia, prompting the police to declare a critical incident and evacuate the area.
The attacker was shot and killed by a lone police officer who was directed into the mall by people fleeing the scene, police said.
The officer then opened fire, saving lives, Anthony Cooke, police assistant commissioner for the New South Wales Police, said at a news briefing.
The assailant stabbed about nine people as he moved through the mall Saturday afternoon, Assistant Commissioner Cooke said.
“There’s nothing we’re aware at the scene that would indicate any motive or ideology,” Assistant Commissioner Cooke said in the briefing, noting the investigation was in its early stages.
Persons:
Anthony Cooke, Cooke, “, ”
Organizations:
New South Wales Police
Locations:
Sydney, Australia