A group of men in Sydney, Australia halted a stabbing spree Tuesday when they used a milk crate to subdue the suspect.
The unnamed suspect allegedly killed one woman and injured another before being stopped. The man could be heard chanting “Allahu Akbar,” according to authorities. The phrase is a frequent cry of Islamic radicals. (RELATED: FBI Discovers Homegrown Islamic Terror Compound In Alabama)
Just witnessed incredible bravery from members of the public and @FRNSW officers chasing down a man on a stabbing rampage in Sydney’s CBD. He is now under arrest. @7NewsSydney pic.twitter.com/wNKatejHVp
— Andrew Denney (@Andrew_Denney) August 13, 2019
The suspect is a 21-year-old man with a history of mental illness who had collected information about prior mass shootings, New South Wales state Police Commissioner Michael Fuller said, according to NBC News. (RELATED: New Jersey Man Arrested After He Allegedly Discussed Bombing Trump Tower)
The suspect is believed to have been a “lone actor,” and authorities do not believe he was acting as part of a larger terror network.
“He is by definition, at the moment, a lone actor. Information was found on him that would suggest he has some ideologies in relation to terrorism, but he has no links to terrorism,” Fuller said. “There was certainly information found on him about other crimes of mass casualties and mass deaths around the world.”
Three of the men involved in taking the suspect down are from Britain and told BBC News that they ran out of their offices when they heard what was going on outside.
“I could have easily just looked out of the window and not done anything,” one of the men, Luke O’Shaughnessy, told the BBC. “I thought we’ve got to run towards it.”
