Emergency services at the scene.Credit:Oscar Colman
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said while Bondi Junction was the scene of terrible violence,the response to the attack brought out some of the best of our humanity.
“It was also witness to the humanity and the heroism of our fellow Australians,our brave police,our first responders,and of course,everyday people who could never have imagined that they would face such a moment,” he said,paying tribute to the workers at the shopping centre who helped people hide.
“This should have been a normal shift. Shoppers peacefully going about their lives. And yet for these Australians,their first instinct in the face of danger was to help someone else.
“That is what we hold on to tonight as Australians. That’s confirmation of who we are. Brave,strong. Together.”
A shop owner said he heard shouting outside his store then saw a man with a knife and police before the weapon was thrown and that man was shot dead.
Rakesh Sanga,33,told theHerald he became “very panicked” by the sound outside his shop,Bondi Alterations,on level five. “I went to see what was happening,” he said. “Police coming from the other side. The man coming with the knife … everyone running. We panic,and we go move to the other side of my store.”
He said the man,who was wearing a green T-shirt,threw the knife towards a mobile store and was shot by a policewoman.
“I think she shot like two times or three times,” he said.
Photographs from the scene show a man,who appears to be dead,outside the shop.
Multiple posts on social media show crowds fleeing as emergency services swarmed the centre.
A witness who did not wish to be named said she was about to go into Coles supermarket when she saw a man pull out a knife. “I looked up and bolted,” the witness said.
Ellie Williams,21,was finishing lunch on the top floor of Westfield Bondi food court with her friend about 3.40 pm when she saw groups of people running and screaming.
Images circulated on social media of the incident at Bondi Junction on Saturday afternoon.
“People were so confused and we were told a guy was stabbing people on the floors below,” she said.
“People were being locked into stores and we looked down and saw a guy with a knife chasing people. I heard a man scream as we were about to go down the escalator.”
Williams heard three gunshots as she left through the fire escape.
Two police officers stand near a suspected offender.
Huma Hussainy and Mohamad Naveed were shopping in LuLu Lemon when they heard screaming. They saw the attacker brandishing a large knife,swiping at people indiscriminately.
“The knife came up to here,” Hussainy said,gesturing to her forearm. The couple saw two girls lying in a large pool of blood outside Cotton On around two metres apart. One looked to be about 17 years old,they said.
The attacker reversed his steps,heading back towards LuLu Lemon before walking down the escalator. “I screamed,I thought he was going to turn around and come into the store,” Hussainy said.
Soon the gunshots rang out,and the pair thought the attacker also had a gun. Police came and shut the door of the store. “Someone walked up and tried to wake the girl (who had been stabbed),” Hussainy said. The victim couldn’t be roused.
When the pair were escorted from the store about 45 minutes later,one girl had been taken away and a screen set up over the second one.“It was terrifying. If he came into the store we would be dead,” she said. “I’m glad I’m alive.
Hannah Bodrozic and Guy Johnston were shopping in Country Road when they saw a group of around 20 young people fleeing down the escalators.
They didn’t understand what was happening until someone screamed:“There’s a man stabbing people!”
The couple froze as shops around them slammed their shutters shut,with groups of people running in every direction.
This was posted to social media from inside Bondi Westfield - “Prayers for any victims. Please don’t let this be the new normal.”Credit:Twitter/Mark Hudson @mhudson
“Then we heard three gunshots and everyone just started screaming,” she said.
About 100 people stampeded out the exit,she said.
“You’d never expect something like this in Sydney,” Johnston said.
The Australian Federal Police were consulting with NSW Police and if necessary would activate the joint counter terrorism team,sources said.
Officers from commands all over Sydney are likely to be deployed,with an enormous crime scene likely to take up to two days to process. The shopping centre will be closed on Sunday.
Premier Chris Minns was returning to Sydney from Tokyo last night. He said:“I am horrified to hear about the events at Bondi Junction this afternoon. I want to thank NSW Police,emergency services and first responders,and the community for their bravery in the face of this shocking incident.”