Bondi Junction Westfield mass murder was not terrorism: Police commissioner

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb has said the attack at Bondi Junction Westfield shopping centre on Saturday afternoon was not an act of terrorism.

The six victims have been identified as five women and a man. Four of the women died at the scene while a fifth died in hospital.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb told the media the attacker was a 40-year-old man.Credit: Dion Georgopoulos

NSW Ambulance said they took eight patients to various hospitals, including a nine-month-old baby.

Fronting the media at the Waverley police station, Webb said the attacker, who was shot dead by police, was a 40-year-old man who had had previous interactions with the police.

While police are still waiting to formally identify him, Webb said police knew enough to classify the attack as a non-terror event.

“If he is the person that we believe, then we don’t have fears of that person holding an ideation. In other words, it’s not a terrorism incident,” Webb said.

She said there was no suggestion he was targeting victims, and said that he acted alone.

Police say the man entered the shopping centre at 3.20pm on Saturday and “engaged with” nine people as he moved through, “causing harm”.

Some witnesses described him as walking cooly and confidently, while others said he was chaotic in his rampage.

He was brandishing a large knife up to 30 centimetres long and attacked people across levels five and six of the centre.

The first officer on the scene fired three shots, killing the man.

Webb confirmed the nine-month-old baby had undergone surgery. The baby’s mother is believed to have been the latest victim who died in hospital.

Webb commended both the police officer who shot the attacker, along with shopkeepers who assisted in keeping people safe.

“The police officer that attended is enormously courageous, as were other police officers that have attended that area,” Webb said.

“It could have been so much worse.”

The female officer is a “very senior” inspector of police who was conducting routine checks on hospitality venues nearby.

She responded quickly alone and will be given psychological support. She was still inside the station at the time of the police conference.

The officer has requested not to be named for the time being.

The shopping centre will remain closed on Sunday, but shoppers will have access to their cars by Sunday.

“The crime scene remains ongoing, and it will remain ongoing for a number of days,” Webb said.

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