At least six people are dead others were injured after a knife-wielding man attacked shoppers at an Australian mall on Saturday, including a mother who tried to fight off the perpetrator to protect her baby daughter, CNN reports.
Authorities say around 3:20 p.m., a 40-year-old man began stabbing people randomly with a large hunting knife at the six-floor Westfield Shopping Centre in Sydney.
As terrified mall visitors fled the scene, a female police officer shot and killed the man, whose identity has not yet been released.
Among the victims is 39-year-old Ash Good, who witnesses say attempted to fend off the attacker to protect her 9-month-old daughter, according to news.com.au.
The baby appeared to have been stabbed in her stomach. She was reportedly undergoing surgery but her condition was not immediately known.
One witness said Good put the baby in the arms of a stranger to protect her before she died.
“The mum got stabbed and the mum came over with the baby and threw it at me, and (I) was holding the baby,” an unidentified man told 9News Sydney.
Four women and one man died at the mall, and Good died at a hospital. Eight people were being treated for injuries, according to CNN.
Police believe the attacker acted alone and he was known to law enforcement, but the case remains under investigation, Fox News reports.
Good’s loved ones honored her in social media posts following her death. “She was so smart, so beautiful and it was all ripped away in seconds,” one person wrote, according to news.com.au. Another person said a “beautiful soul has been taken from us.”
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised the police officer who shot and killed the suspect, calling her a hero.
“There is no doubt that she saved lives through her action,” Albanese said, according to the BBC.
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[Featured image: Ash Good/Instagram]
