A number of people were injured in a stabbing at a church about 30 km west of the Sydney central business district, police authorities said on Monday.
The attack took place at Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley in the city's west. Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was preaching on Monday just after 7pm local time when a man dressed in black walked up to the altar and allegedly stabbed him multiple times.
The injured people suffered non-life threatening injuries and are being treated by paramedics, police said.
The ceremony was being broadcast live on the church's YouTube page when the alleged attack took place. Videos of the incident circulating online showed a man lunging and stabbing a speaker.
Officers arrested a male and he is assisting police with inquiries, a police statement said.
The New South Wales ambulance service said at least four people were injured including a man in his 50s who was taken to hospital in a serious condition. There are 11 ambulances on the scene.
UPDATE:
Police remain at the scene of an alleged stabbing at a church in Wakeley in Sydney’s southwest.
About 7.10pm tonight (Monday 15 April 2024) police were called to Welcome Street, Wakeley, following reports a number of people were stabbed.
Officers attached to…
— NSW Police Force (@nswpolice) April 15, 2024
It's the second stabbing incident in Sydney after six people were killed in a knife attack at a mall in Sydney's Bondi area on Saturday. There is no suggestion that the two events are linked.
More to follow
