Authorities say the 32-year-old suspect was originally from Afghanistan and was known to police.
A 32-year-old man ran down 19 people in the Australian city of Melbourne, in what authorities are calling a deliberate act.
According to ABC Australia, “Of the 19 admitted to hospital, 15 are in a stable condition — including a four-year-old boy and the driver — and four are in a critical condition.”
A heroic off-duty police officer dragged the attacker from the car.
Another man was arrested at the scene filming the attack (also carrying a bag of knives), but authorities are saying he was not involved.
9News says a 4-year-old is the youngest victim of the attack.
Australia PM Malcolm Turnbull tweeted about the attack:
As our federal & state police & security agencies work together to secure the scene and investigate this shocking incident our thoughts & prayers are with the victims & the emergency & health workers who are treating them. https://t.co/JkUM9TuIQe
— Malcolm Turnbull (@TurnbullMalcolm) December 21, 2017
Strangely, authorities in Australia are trying to quickly downplay any possibility the attack was terrorist related, despite the fact that they haven’t even really investigated it yet.
This is despite the fact that the attack fits the clear pattern of previous Islamist terror attacks using vehicles – something ISIS has explicitly called for.
Instead, the authorities are saying it’s a “mental health” issue, ignoring the obvious truth that the attack fits an ISIS pattern rather than looking like some random mental issue.
It appears to be another instance of political correctness run amok.
Videos of the attack aftermath are below:
A car plows into a busy sidewalk in Melbourne, Australia, injuring more than a dozen people, authorities say. https://t.co/JJacUrSzRl pic.twitter.com/dKCfPLFQ4F
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) December 21, 2017
JUST IN: Video shows authorities responding to the scene moments after a vehicle slammed into pedestrians in Melbourne, Australia, injuring at least 13. https://t.co/zLPvR8wFAw pic.twitter.com/AvCypdbDMY
— ABC News (@ABC) December 21, 2017
FOX NEWS ALERT: Up to 14 injured after car plows into pedestrians in Melbourne, Australia | @GriffJenkins pic.twitter.com/5TBTB4AbxN
— FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) December 21, 2017
Spencer Fernando
Photo – Twitter