A knife-wielding man went on a stabbing spree in Melbourne Friday, Australian authorities said — crashing his truck and setting it on fire before he was shot by police.
Nov. 9 (UPI) — A knife-wielding man went on a stabbing spree in Melbourne Friday, Australian authorities said — crashing his truck and setting it on fire and confronting police before they shot him.
The suspect, a 31-year-old Somali man who was known to authorities, later died at the hospital, police said.
The attack on Bourke Street is being treated as a terrorist attack. Video footage shows the man lunge at officers before he is shot.
A relative of the suspect was arrested on terror-related charges last year.
« He is known to both Victoria Police and federal intelligence authorities, » Victoria Police Commissioner Graham Ashton said Friday. « There is no ongoing threat that we know of. »
One of the victims died and two others were hospitalized, police said.
Rodney Patterson, former president of the South Launceston Football Club, was among the injured.
« Unfortunately, we got caught up in the attack in Bourke Street this afternoon and Rodney was hurt — good news is he is in a great hospital and doing OK given the circumstances, » his wife Maree Patterson posted online .
Officials said the terror suspect, who’s lived in Australia since the 1990s, had barbecue gas cylinders in his truck when it caught fire — after narrowly missing colliding with a tram.
« This is an evil and terrifying thing that has happened in our city, » Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said.
