Mourners throng mall after motor carnage
THOUSANDS of people attended a vigil yesterday in memory of the five victims mowed down by a car at Melbourne’s busiest mall last week as police charged the suspected driver with murder.
The man, 26, who faces five counts of murder, sustained gunshot wounds after police arrested him following the incident on Friday.
Mourners gathered at Melbourne’s Federation Square for a minute’s silence to remember those killed in the tragedy.
Henry Dow, who witnessed the carnage, made a stirring speech, recalling a taxi driver who went to the aid of those struck by the vehicle.
“[I] hope I never forget just how brave and loving strangers can be. I love this city,” he said.
Other witnesses had described bodies flying through the air as the vehicle sped through the shopping strip, leaving a trail of injured and a pram upturned.
A man in his 30s, a man and woman both in their 20s, a girl, 10, and the baby thrown from the pram were all killed.
Fifteen people remain in hospital, two still in a critical condition.
“It’s been a tragic time . . . but the people of Melbourne have pulled together and the spirit of the city was very evident there, just as it was on the day of that shocking attack,” Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said on Australian radio.
The accused killer – who had been pursued by police earlier on Friday for allegedly stabbing his brother – has a history of family violence, mental illness and drug abuse.