Westfield Bondi Junction stabbing: Hero shopper takes on knifeman during deadly attack
A brave shopper armed with a bollard confronts a knife-wielding man on escalator at a shopping centre in Sydney's east.
A man has been hailed a hero for standing up to an armed attacker during a terrifying mass stabbing at one of Australia’s biggest shopping centres.
The unknown shopper put his own safety at risk to protect others from the knife-wielding man who killed six people and injured more during the frightening scene at Westfield Bondi Junction on Saturday afternoon.
A short clip of the incident shared online shows the knifeman walking up an escalator while the man, armed with a bollard, confronts him at the top.
It appears he's attempting to stop the knifeman from reaching the fourth floor. Shouting is heard in the background as the man holds the base of the bollard towards the knifeman outside a Cos store.
“This Aussie man took on the armed attacker in Bondi Junction Shopping Centre, Sydney - putting his own safety at risk to save others,” hailed one woman who shared the footage to X.
“A f**king legend and a hero he is,” said another person, with a third adding that he deserves a “medal”.
A senior female police officer was first to arrive on the scene and shot the male perpetrator dead after he went on a stabbing spree shortly after 3pm.
Police told reporters they are confident the man acted alone, following incorrect reports there was a second perpetrator. Police crews remain at the scene, while armed officers have taken to the building's roof.
This Aussie man took on the armed attacker in Bondi Junction Shopping Centre, Sydney - putting his own safety at risk to save others.
He is a hero. https://t.co/vs9xFMXSPV— Anna McGovern (@AnnaMcGovernUK) April 13, 2024
Witnesses share moments of bravery
Reports from shoppers describe the terrifying scene — with many acting with extreme bravery.
One pair of shoppers sprung into action after witnessing a mother and a baby stabbed by the attacker. The two men frantically used clothes from a store to stem the bleeding.
“The mother came with the baby bleeding, stabbed, and we got them into the store and just got them safe and then rang for help," one of the men told Nine News.
“I just kept yelling out to get some clothes, get some shirts and just help us to compress and stop the baby from bleeding.”
NSW Ambulance confirmed that they have transported eight people to hospital, including the nine-month-old baby.
Shoppers hide in stores from attackers
A shopper called Mackenzie, told Yahoo News Australia that she was browsing in Glue Store with a friend when the lights went off and the door was shut.
“Sirens were going off and the mall was saying ‘evacuate now’. They said someone is running around the mall stabbing people so get into the back room. I was very confused. We all ran into the store room and waited for five minutes, some people were crying and shaken up," she said.
Mackenzie said after five minutes, the doors were reopened and there were “huge crowds” outside the Westfield. Mackenzie praised the efforts of staff who acted quickly to protect customers.
"They did a really good job of handling the situation," she said.
Dad tells daughter to 'get cover'
A text from a young girl to his father described hundreds of shoppers hiding at the back of David Jones as the knifeman carried out his attack outside.
“There’s a shooter at Bondi Junction,” the girl wrote to her dad. “We just heard gunshots.”
The dad replied for her to “get to cover” and “hide”.
Read more: Westfield Bondi Junction stabbing: Man shot dead by police after five shoppers killed
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