HERO COP GUNS DOWN KNIFEMAN WHO KILLED SIX
Aussie PM hails officer who saved lives in Bondi mall massacre
CORDON
THE hero police officer who gunned down the knife killer of six people at a Sydney shopping centre was last night hailed for saving lives.
As detectives probed the rampage, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: “There is no doubt that she saved lives through her action.”
Five women and a man were killed and eight others – including a baby – were taken to hospital with stab wounds.
The sixth victim, who died in hospital, was last night named locally as Ash Good, 38, the nine-month-old tot’s mum.
Pandemonium broke out at the Bondi Junction Westfield shopping centre in East Sydney at 3.30pm yesterday.
TERROR
Hundreds fled screaming or cowered inside shops as the attacker – armed with a large knife – started stabbing people and bodies piled up outside a Lululemon clothing store.
One shopper said: “While I was paying I heard this screaming of kids, women and men outside the shop.
“As soon as I turned to look I saw a guy wearing this green outfit, jersey materials, with shorts and a T-shirt with a very massive knife on hand.
“Then I saw a dead body right in front. There was massive blood around that body. A few metres after there was another dead body as well on the floor.”
The shopper and other terrified people locked themselves in for nearly an hour.
The witness added: “I was really in fear. I was thinking if they couldn’t shut the Lululemon door then I would maybe get stabbed. I’m still in shock. ”
Luggage store supervisor Yohan Francois Philip, 29, said a desperate woman ran to his shop, banged on the door and yelled, ‘Let me in’.
He said: “As I was letting her in, the perpetrator fell behind her with a knife and so we quickly pulled her in, locked the door.
“He got up and we realised he stabbed two security guards. Then he ran across to the corner part and he stabbed a woman, which I saw happen right in front of me.”
Olinda Nemer, 22, said: “I didn’t see him stabbing people, but I saw him running with the knife.
“People were just running, screaming. At first we didn’t know what was happening, so we were running with everyone.”
Footage emerged showing the lone killer on an escalator apparently being confronted with a bollard by a brave member of the public.
A police officer – described as an inspector on her own – arrived and immediately confronted the attacker.
Anthony Cooke, assistant commissioner of New
South Wales
Police, said:
“As she continued to walk quickly behind to catch up with him he turned to face her, raised a knife. She discharged a firearm and that person is now deceased.”
He added: “This all happened very, very quickly – the officer that was in the vicinity attended on her own. [She] was guided to the location of the offender by people in the centre. She took the actions that she did, saving a range of people’s
lives.” Police said they had identified the attacker as a 40-year-old man known to them but do not think he was motivated by terrorism.
Commissioner Karen Webb said: “We are waiting to identify him formally.”
Prince William and wife Kate were among those who sent their sympathies after the atrocity, with King Charles and Queen Camilla saying they were “utterly shocked and horrified”.
The attack is one of the worst mass killings in Australia’s history. The deadliest was the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, when gunman Martin Bryant killed 35.