Australian police shoot man dead after stabbings in Pilbara

Police in Western Australia have shot dead a man after a stabbing attack at a shopping centre in the Pilbara region.

Several people were confirmed to have been injured in the attack at the South Hedland Square centre.

Two people are said to be in a serious condition.

Witnesses told local media they saw a man waving a knife at shoppers before hearing screaming and bangs. Police said there was no ongoing threat to public safety.

“The male who died is the person who was engaged by police, and he received a gunshot wound,” said Western Australia Police.

“Police will investigate the circumstances surrounding how these people received the injuries.”

The attack happened around 10:00 local time on Friday (02:00 GMT). One woman told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation she fled after encountering the man outside the shopping centre’s entrance.

“I saw this guy swinging a great big knife at this lady who had a toddler in the trolley,” Shelley Farquhar said.

“Then he gave up on her and came in, because I was there, and was swinging at me.”

South Hedland is a small town in the rural Pilbara region of Western Australia. Most people in the area work in mining and related industries.

The dead man, who has not been identified, was reported by several witnesses to have been wearing a high-vis jacket.

bbc