What happened to the attacker in the Sydney Mall stabbing attack? Has the person been arrested?

Warning: This article talks about a tragic mass attack; please take care while reading.

Citizens of Sydney, Australia, faced absolute horror this Saturday, April 13, when a man killed six people and injured eight in a senseless attack at the Westfield Bondi Junction mall. While the police are still investigating the matter, the attacker has already been stopped.

Located near Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach, the Westfield Bondi Junction is a regular gathering place for families and teenagers on weekends. The place was crowded when, at 15:00 local time, a 40-year-old man entered the place holding a knife in his hand. The assailant attacked a mother who desperately tried to protect her infant child with her own body. Unfortunately, the nine-month-old baby had to be taken to the hospital while her mother succumbed to her severe injuries. People ran away screaming, trying to escape the murderer.

Mallgoers and workers described the terror of watching helplessly as the aggressor chased people in front of their eyes. Some managed to flee inside stores and lock the doors, hiding inside dressing cabins and using clothing to stop the bleeding of some of the victims. But not everyone escaped the attack as the horrifying incident left six dead and eight others injured.

A heroic store worker, 19-year-old Rashdan Aqashah, managed to use a pole to stall the killer. Nevertheless, the rampage was only put to an end after the police arrived. One unidentified female officer rushed toward the danger and tracked the killer through the mall, ordering him to put his weapon down. When the aggressor refused the command and raised the knife against the officer, she shot the criminal. The officer tried to administer CPR on the criminal after shooting him, but she wasn’t able to save his life.

What was the reason behind the Sydney stabbing attack?

The identity of the killer has not been made public yet, but authorities have claimed the man was “known to police.” That means the attacker had a previous record or was involved in a different incident before the Sydney stabbing attack. Officers have also discarded the possibility of a terrorist attack, meaning the assailant was most likely working alone.

While the use of lethal force by the police is usually frowned upon, witnesses underline how the attacker refused to stop the senseless violence and threatened to slash the officer. Following the bloody conclusion of the massacre, Australia’s Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, has also gone on record praising the officer who took the shot. As the Prime Minister says, “There is no doubt that she saved lives.”