[Photograph of Sydney Opera House. Photo credits to Pixabay]

Shocking scenes at the Westfield Bondi Junction Mall in Sydney, Australia, as a man stabbed nine people, including a baby, and left six dead.

The attacker was ultimately stopped after an officer on site shot the man.

New South Wales Police Commissioner Anthony Cooke told news outlets the attacker entered the mall around 3:20 P.M. local time and began his rampage, most likely with a knife.

A spokesperson for the New South Wales Ambulance announced that the stabbed baby was transported to Sydney Children’s Hospital with a pediatric stab wound.

As for the officer who shot the attacker, Cooke said an inspector at the mall was ushered towards the scene and acted quickly, saving what could have been more victims.

The attacker’s motive is still unknown, and law enforcement is marking this tragedy as a senseless killing.

All that is known about the attack is that it was not terror-related, according to early indications.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw announced that the federal police, along with the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, were working on an investigation to identify the killer’s motive.

Surveillance footage inside the mall captured the attacker running through the premises with a knife, causing chaos with every step.

Eye witnesses report traumatizing experiences, including a personal account from the man who held the stabbed baby.

Reports also include brothers who attempted to save the baby and mother, a man witnessed the crime, and another man who claims the killer would have continued his rampage if not for the police officer.

One report, from mall shopper Crystal Wang, explains her experience during the attack while hiding in a clothes store.

Upon entering the store, the gates were closed behind her, and the lights were turned off.

Confused, Crystal Wang was unaware of the situation until an employee expalined the ordeal.

Wang andother shoppers were holed up in the shop for over an hour until it was safe to leave and evacuate the mall.

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the event as a horrific act of violence and offered his deepest condolences to those grieving for the lost lives.

Albanese, along with many members of the public, hailed the officer who shot the attacker as a hero.

They say it was her actions that saved many lives in that mall.

On a side note, this attack shocked Australia, as mass killings like this are rare in the country.

The last major killing was back in 1996 in Port Arthur, Tasmania, where 35 were killed and it was later called the Port Arthur Massacre.

In other news, Pope Francis expressed his condolences to the families of the victims during a recent conference held in the Vatican.

King Charles III of Britain, the head of state in Australia, also expressed shock regarding the stabbings.

King Charles III and Queen Camilia sent their condolences like Pope Francis, to the families of the victims as part of a statement from Buckingham Palace.

As this shocking incident shakes up Australian national security, both the country and the world hope that such events will not occur again anytime soon.