Addict rams his 4x4 into festive shoppers
Detectives rule out links to terrorism
A MENTALLY ill drug addict who ploughed his car into a crowd of Christmas shoppers left four people critically injured.
Police said the man, who smashed into the crowd in Melbourne, Australia, at 60mph had carried out an “evil act”. But they ruled out any terrorist connection.
The man arrested at the scene was a 32-year-old Australian citizen of Afghan descent, who has a history of drug abuse and mental health issues.
He was known to police and had a record of assault.
A total of 19 people were injured as the unnamed man’s 4x4 hit the shoppers, sending people flying through the air. One of the four people critically injured was a child.
Jim Stoupas, who owns a shop near the scene, said: “All you could hear was just ‘bang bang bang bang bang’ and screams.”
Police chief Shane Patton said the man was arrested by an off-duty officer.
He added: “To step in when you see that trauma, not understanding what the threat is – it is heroic.”
A man seen filming the carnage at the scene was also arrested and found to have a bag of knives. But police said it was “quite probable” he was not involved.
In January, six people were killed in a non terror-related atrocity when a man drove into pedestrians near the scene of yesterday’s attack.