Police have held a press conference following the attack.
The lone female police officer who shot the man who stabbed several people in a Sydney shopping centre attack has been praised for “saving a range of people’s lives”.
The attack occurred on Saturday afternoon (13 April) in the Westfield Bondi Junction shopping centre in the Australian city and left a reported six victims dead and “more than several other people” injured.
In a press conference, assistant commissioner of New South Wales Police Force Anthony Cooke said: “At about 3.10pm this afternoon, a male walked into Westfield Bandi Junction.
“He left the centre very shortly after and returned at about 3.20pm. As he moved through the centre, he engaged with about nine people. It is clear that during that engagement, he caused harm to those people we believe by stabbing them with a weapon he was carrying.”
He added: “Promptly, a single unit officer inspector of police was nearby, attended, went into the centre directed by a range of people.
“She confronted the offender who had moved by this stage to level five as she continued to walk quickly behind him to catch up with him.
“He turned, faced her, raised a knife. She discharged a firearm and that person is now deceased.”
In videos from the scene shared on social media, a female police officer can be seen administering CPR to a person.
The assistant commissioner said the officer’s actions saved “a range of people’s lives”.
Cooke also told the press that it appears the attacker acted alone.
In regard the number of victims of the incident, he said: “I’m advised there are five victims who are now deceased as a result of the actions of this offender.
“There are more than several other people who have been conveyed to hospital. A number of these are in serious and/or critical condition at this stage.
“One of them is a small child.”
The BBC reports that one of the people stabbed was a nine-month-old baby.
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