One dead, another injured in Sydney CBD stabbing rampage

The woman fatally stabbed as part of a rampage in Sydney’s CBD was a sex worker the alleged attacker had planned to meet.

The woman fatally stabbed as part of a rampage in Sydney’s CBD was a sex worker the alleged attacker had planned to meet.

The 21-year-old woman’s body was found in a fourth-floor apartment in Clarence Street at about 3.15pm yesterday.

It is alleged she was killed by Mert Ney, 21, who then ran out into the street and stabbed another random woman in the back.

She was understood to work from home and police said the alleged knifeman was visiting her for “business” purposes.

School friends and neighbours of the man accused of unleashing “terrifying carnage” in a stabbing rampage in Sydney’s CBD have described him as a quiet loner who “didn’t have many friends.”

Ney, of Marayong near Blacktown in Sydney’s west, spent Tuesday night under police guard at Prince of Wales Hospital in Randwick.

He is expected to face charges over the incident which left one woman dead and another injured.

NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller described the man as a “lone actor” and said early inquiries found he may have held some concerning ideologies, but the incident was not terror related.

“Information was found on him that would suggest he had some ideologies related to terrorism, but he has no links to terrorism … he has no apparent links to terror organisations,” he said.

Those who knew him at school described him as a loner who was a “bit weird”.

“He was always posting about converting [to Islam] and stuff like that,” one man who wished to remain anonymous told The Daily Mail.

“[But] I didn’t expect him to go this far.”

Another school friend said he had spoken about going to a festival last week.

“He just had a vibe, he was just an odd person — he didn’t have many friends,” he said.

Reen Elomari, a friend of Mr Ney’s from Marayong Public School, said he “was not much of a talker”.

“I always used to see him roam around the streets alone. I would see him around my house. I’d see him maybe a couple of times (at the shops at Westpoint), just alone,” Ms Elomari told the publication.

The man has been named as Mert Nay. Picture: Kartik Lad/Twitter

The suspect was taken away in a police van. Picture: Channel 7

Mr Fuller said the alleged knifeman was carrying a thumb drive that contained information related to terrorism ideology, but police are not treating the attack as a terrorist incident.

Information was reportedly found relating to mass casualties around the world, including those in North America and New Zealand.

However Mr Fuller said it was “much too early to draw a conclusion on a consistent type of ideology”.

Anxiety medication was found on the ground near where the suspect was being arrested, 7 News reports.

He has since been taken to hospital under police guard. Picture: Channel 7

Police at Mr Ney’s home in Marayong. Picture: Jonathan Ng

On Tuesday, Mr Fuller described the “terrifying carnage” as the attacker terrorised bystanders and stabbed a 41-year-old woman in the back.

“Three members of the public who can only be described as highest order heroes, have engaged this 21-year-old man and have placed him essentially under arrest, even though he was branching a large butchers knife and was clearly dangerous,” he said.

“A number of other emergency services were in the vicinity and responded shortly after, and police put this individual in custody.

A crime scene has been set up at Clarence House apartments.

“In the next 30 minutes an expanded crime scene unfortunately identified a 21-year-old woman … deceased.

“All the available information we have at hand would link these two crimes.”

Mr Fuller said the accused was known to police but his history was “unremarkable” compared to the crimes he allegedly committed.

He also confirmed the attacker has a history of mental illness.

The suspect is believed to live with his mother and sister at a home in Marayong.

A neighbour told Nine News that he “kept to himself” and was “a real quiet guy”.

Nine’s crime reporter, Simon Bouda, revealed on A Current Affair that the accused was arrested in April and charged with possessing a knife.

He was reportedly put on a conditional release order when he faced court in June.

“I understand that part of that conditional release order was he had to check himself into a mental health facility but he recently absconded from there,” Mr Bouda said.

WOMAN FOUND WITH THROAT SLIT

The unidentified 21-year-old woman was found dead inside a residence on Clarence St, Wynyard at around 3.15pm. There have been multiple reports she was found with her throat slit.

Her body wasn’t found until about an hour after members of the public chased down the offender. A second female victim, 41, is being treated for a stab wound to her back,

Mr Fuller said the suspectwas at the residential facility on Clarency Street for “a business purpose”.

Earlier, King St and Clarence St in Sydney’s Wynyard were under lockdown.

An employee from Clarence St Cyclery which sits below the apartments, was forced to close as the crime scene was set up. The staff member told news.com.au he saw the man run past.

“There’s something going on upstairs,” he said. “They’ve had a whole lot of top brass police go up there.”

The Clarence St Cyclery employee said he’d also seen a number of riot squad police run upstairs.

The large knife the man was carrying.

An ambulance and police were seen outside the residential building on Tuesday where the attack is believed to have taken place. Police sent home staff from neighbouring businesses without explanation.

“They wouldn’t tell us what’s going on,” one staff member told news.com.au.

Police confirmed earlier on Tuesday another woman, 41, was stabbed in the back and was taken to St Vincent’s Hospital in a stable condition.

She hasn’t required surgery and is expected to stay in the Darlinghurst hospital overnight.

It’s believed the woman was stabbed inside Hotel CBD, on the corner of York and King streets, which police say remains an active crime scene.

Another woman was also seen walking into The Rocks Police Station with what appeared to be wounds to her hands, but police later confirmed she was not a victim.

The man was seen holding a large knife. Picture: 7 News.

ATTACKER’S OUTBURST: ‘SHOOT ME IN THE FACE’

Video obtained by 7 News showed the man yelling “Allahu Akbar!” as he jumped on the hood and roof of a Mercedes, before he is confronted by a man with a chair.

He then began screaming, “Shoot me in the f*****g face.”

Multiple people are then seen pinning him down with a milk crate on his head and two chairs holding his body down. He has blood on his hands.

Other video then shows a group of citizens, including firefighters, arresting the alleged offender.

“He stabbed a chick in broad daylight,” a man can be heard saying on the video. “He stabbed her. He came running through the street.”

Police urged bystanders to avoid the area. Picture: Dean Lewins/AAP

Some psycho just went around stabbing people in Sydney. Just your regular Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/fJGlkg1lZL

— جوني (@johnnie_txt) August 13, 2019

Prime Minister Scott Morrison labelled the attack “deeply concerning”.

“The attacker is now in police custody following the brave actions of those who were present at the scene and were able to able to restrain him," Mr Morrison said.

“The motivation for this attack has not yet been determined as police are continuing with their inquiries.

“Any further official information will be provided by the New South Wales police, who are keeping us appraised through our agencies, including details of casualties.”

Our thoughts are with all those who have been impacted by this violent attack.

— Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) August 13, 2019

MAN TRIED TO STAB ‘MULTIPLE PEOPLE’

NSW Police Superintendent Gavin Wood said the offender attempted to stab a number of other people during his rampage. He added the threat had now been “negated”.

“That male offender, which we will be alleging is responsible for the stabbing, is now in custody,” Supt Wood said.

“All I can conclusively say is that male offender was on his own and there was no person complicit at this stage.”

Supt Wood said the knifeman’s motivations were unknown, but the attack appeared to be “unprovoked”.

“We don’t know the causation or the rationale for his actions today,” he said.

Police emphasised the investigation was “in its infancy”.

Sydney CBD attacker being escorted from Day Street Police station to the hospital. Source: Elias Visontay

Adrian Papaianni was leaving his office on Clarence St when he heard people screaming.

“There were a stack of people running down Barrack Place saying that there was a guy with a knife,” Mr Papaianni told news.com.au.

“I ran into the Woolworths and people inside got them to shut the glass doors. I was feeling OK until I saw a mother crying with her baby in her hands, trying to get into the Woolies.

“Police started arriving about a minute later and started to chase him.”

The man was trapped with a milk crate. Picture: Channel 7

A woman named Alexandra, who works in customer service on Kent St, told news.com.au she was walking towards York St about 1.55pm when she ran into a male friend who had overheard someone yelling “he has a knife”.

He told her there were “a lot of people running towards them”.

Alexandra said three groups of uniformed and undercover police then ran from behind her saying “he’s gone into Woolworths”.

The police were running towards the Woolworths Metro supermarket on York St, she said.

Alexandra said concrete barriers had been erected on Clarence St.

The woman was reportedly stabbed in the back. Picture: Dean Lewins/AAP

A woman is taken by ambulance from Hotel CBD. Picture: Dean Lewins/AAP

An Uber driver who was on King St near the Grace Hotel told 2GB Radio he saw the terrifying incident unfold.

“Next thing I see this guy jumping over the car, over the bonnet … he had a knife in his hand,” the man said.

“He had a bit of blood on his shirt.

“There were police, people with their phone out, there were fireys trying to contain him.”

Witnesses say a fireman from a truck that happened to be at the scene leapt out with an axe in a bid to apprehend the man.

A NSW Fire and Rescue spokesman confirmed a crew was in the area and assisted police.

Do you know more? Email [e-mail]