Sydney has recently experienced two consecutive stabbing incidents, prompting the U.S. Embassy and consulates in Australia to issue a warning for citizens to stay vigilant. The embassy emphasized the importance of being aware of one’s surroundings, especially in crowded tourist areas, and following the instructions of law enforcement and emergency responders.
The advisory was issued following a stabbing spree at the Westfield Bondi Junction shopping center, where a 40-year-old man went on a rampage, targeting women and resulting in the death of five females and one male, with 12 others injured. Among the victims were a new mother and her baby girl, as well as a bride-to-be, daughter of a prominent businessman.
The attacker was stopped by Officer Amy Scott, who bravely confronted him and ultimately shot him after he lunged at her with a knife. Authorities have stated that the incident was not ideologically motivated but rather linked to the perpetrator’s history of mental illness.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised the country’s strict gun laws for potentially preventing further casualties in the attack. He highlighted the difference in potential harm between a knife and an automatic gun.
In a separate incident just days later, a 16-year-old boy allegedly stabbed an Assyrian Christian church leader during a live-streamed sermon, with authorities declaring it a terrorist incident with religious extremism as the motive. The teenager reportedly made statements in Arabic before carrying out the attack.
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