At least six people were killed in a stabbing attack in Australia, raising concerns over the cause of the incident. The attack occurred despite strong gun control in the country.
The attack occurred in a mall in a major city of Sydney. The Westfield Bondi Junction attack left six civilians and the suspected attacker dead. Another eight people were hospitalized in the stabbing, including a nine-month-old baby.
The baby is expected to survive the attack, though the baby’s mother is reportedly seriously injured.
New South Wales Police Commissioner Karen Webb said that the “crime scene remains ongoing, and it will remain ongoing for a number of days.”
“Let me assure you that we are confident that there is no ongoing risk and we are dealing with one person who is now deceased,” she said.
The prime minister also thanked law enforcement and medical personnel for their service and for “working through the night to save lives and to care for their fellow Australians.”
The attack occurred in a prominent Jewish neighborhood of Sydney. However, police said that they did not believe that the stabbing attack was tied to a terrorist group.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that the incident was “a horrific act of violence, indiscriminately targeting innocent people going about an ordinary Saturday doing their shopping.”
Female police officer took out the Sydney stabbing rampage terrorist.
Hero. Give her the Order of Australia pic.twitter.com/yWeoqVHCfs
— Drew Pavlou 🇦🇺🇺🇦🇹🇼🇨🇾 (@DrewPavlou) April 13, 2024
Reports of witnesses include the suspect chasing individuals in the mall. He was shot and killed by a police officer.
The prime minister said that the motive for the attack was under investigation.
“Tonight the first thoughts of all Australians are with the victims of these terrible acts,” he said.
Australia has a particularly strong firearms control regime. The country barred most forms of private gun ownership in the 1990s. As a result, the large majority of guns in private hands were forced to be handed over to the government in a mandated buyback scheme.
Despite the ban, there have been a series of stabbing and shooting attacks in the country.
Australia also has an extensive knife control regimen.
