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Police are treating an attack in Melbourne's Bourke Street mall in which one person was fatally stabbed and two others were injured as an incident of terrorism.
The attacker was shot by police as the terrifying scene unfolded in Melbourne's city district on Friday. He died later that night in hospital.
Witnesses said they heard a loud bang on the air and flames outside Target on Bourke Street, between Swanston and Russell Streets, about 4.20pm.
Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said
"What we know about the individual … from what we know we are treating this as a terrorism incident," he said.
"We believe we have confirmation on the identity [and] There are ongoing investigations being conducted by counter-terrorism. I am not at liberty to disclose the identity of this person. "
" He is known to the police, mainly in respect of those who are concerned. "
The man had a minor in the history of drug abuse, theft and driving offenses, lived in the north-west suburbs of Melbourne, and came to Australia from Somalia in the 1990s, he said.
Ashton said there was "a lot more work" to be done at the crime scene, and that Bourke Street would likely remain locked off "for as late as 9am tomorrow".
He said there was no continuing threat and would not share any further details of the attacker's identity and motive.
Video footage circulating on a social media showed a man advancing to police after the vehicle exploded and attempting to stab, and then falling backwards after what sounded like a gunshot. One of the police officers had their weapon drawn.
The Ashton denied that the attacker had yelled "Allahu Ackbar", as reported by some on social media
He said fire and rescue discovered barbecue-style gas cylinders inside the ute.
"A four wheel drive, utility, drove into Bourke St between Russell St and Swanston St and parked there," Ashton said. "One male person was in the vehicle. A fire was then started in that vehicle. He got out of the vehicle, at the expense of some members of the public at that location. Almost within a minute, Victorian police officers were in attendance in a unmarked vehicle.
"If there are witnesses to this event, eyewitnesses, we would like to talk to them and we'd ask if they could expect any of our police stations, the Melbourne West station located at Spencer Street and we can interview and hopefully get some statements from what we see things. "
Aaksh Verma gave a statement to police after witnessing the incident unfold. He was working when he heard a bang. He went outside and said he saw flames rolling diagnoally towards Target. Then he saw the police pull up. "Verma said."
"I'm not sure if he opened the door or if the cop opened the door."
Once the door Verma said, "The police officer was still sitting down, the man started stabbing him with something sharp. He was not sure if the man made contact with the police officer, or if the police officer's jacket was him from being stabbed.
The police officer's partner came out from the other side of the vehicle and came around to intervene [19659002] "He [the man] backed off."
Verma said.
"The person did not look like he wanted to run away, he wanted to stay and fight, "Verma said. "He was saying nothing. He was a million chances to run away, there are many laneways. "
Verma said bystanders then attempted to help while the police waited for backup, one armed with a trolley and another armed with a flesh.
On Friday night the first, Daniel Andrews, offered his condolences.
He said, "We will do this by ourselves" and say "they have done each and every one of us proud."
"Stranger and bystanders
"he said," he said. "
" We extend our thoughts and prayers to all those who are injured and deepest, deepest sympathies. "
He said people should contact Lifeline, Griefline, and Beyond Blue if they had been affected.
" These are traumatic events, they are terrifying, "the first said. "Many will have seen them first hand."
Victorian opposition leader Matthew Guy, who will face off against Andrews at the state election on 24 November, also spoke on Friday night to say Victorians need to "eradicate this kind of behavior"
"All the resources of our state should be directed to keeping Victorians safe," he said. "When there is a terrorism incident, there can be no moral squeamishness."
"I think it would be a question of whether I was politicizing the issue. "
The incident comes two days after the trial for Melbourne man James Gargasoulas, who has pleaded not guilty to 33 charges including six counts of murder for a deadly incident on 20 January, 2017 , where he allegedly drove through pedestrians along Bourke Street mall and killed six people.
Cars are not allowed in the face of the bollards since the January 2017 tragedy.
Neil McKeller, who works at Hylands Bookshop on Bourke Street, told the Guardian Australia then gunshots
"We heard the explosion, and we heard gunshots later," McKellar said. "We heard it but we did not know what it was."
Bourke and Swanston Streets. Trams on both streets were also halted.
"A couple of people on the trams were saying" I had a knife " rear window, "she told ABC. "I could see a big ute on the road."
"It was going to come to a stop on the other side, and then I could see it. He was waving his arms around, someone was saying he had a knife – I could not tell where I was.
"And then not too long after that, I heard a loud bang that sounded like a gunshot, nothing like an explosion, and then they could see someone giving birth to one another, and then they could not do it. "
Police have asked all the witnesses and anyone with video footage to send it to them via a link on the Victoria facebook page
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