A tradesman has been shot dead after a terrifying stabbing rampage through a shopping centre which left five people in hospital.
The crazed man in a hi-vis went on a rampage at South Hedland Square shopping centre, in Western Australia’s Pilbara region, just before 10am local time on Friday.
Eye-witnesses described the knifeman, believed to be aged in his 30s, as stabbing a person in the McDonald’s car park, before entering the small centre through Kmart and attacking others, including a mother with a toddler.
Local police unsuccessfully sought to Taser the man before an officer shot and killed him.
One of the victims was Esther Brooks, who was slashed in the back.
Ms Brooks and her boyfriend David Derschow shared shocking photos Ms Brooks showing off her bloodied T-shirt with Daily Mail Australia.
David Derschow (pictured, right) said his girlfriend Esther Brooks (left) had been stabbed by the knifeman on Friday morning at a Western Australian shopping centre
Ms Brooks shared shocking pictures with Daily Mail Australia from hospital on Friday (pictured) showing her shirt covered in blood after being stabbed by a stranger
Esther Brooks (pictured) shared shocking pictures of her wound with Daily Mail Australia, after being stabbed in the back by a crazed stranger
Mr Derschow said Ms Brooks had just gone on a coffee run when she was attacked by the crazed man.
‘She was just getting iced coffees,’ he said from hospital on Friday.
Mr Derschow said he heard screaming coming from the shopping centre and walked up to find carnage.
‘She didn’t know him,’ he said, adding he had no idea why his girlfriend had been brutally attacked.
Ms Brooks was in such a state of shock she didn’t even realise she’d been injured in the melee.
Mr Derschow said: ‘She’s good now, she didn’t know she was stabbed until she asked if she was stabbed.
‘A Good Samaritan, within minutes of walking out, offered to take us to the emergency room.’
He later told friends in a chilling Facebook post: ‘Esther got stabbed!’
Ms Brooks is in a stable condition and has had her injured stitched up at hospital.
Another terrified eyewitness, who was forced to dive behind a counter with her young daughter, told Daily Mail Australia that two brave officers gave chase to the attacker.
The aftermath of the stabbing at a north Western Australian shopping centre on Friday morning (pictured) which left five in hospital and the attacker dead
Esther Brooks (pictured) was stabbed during the incident, but is in a stable condition in hospital, her boyfriend David Derschow said
Esther Brooks shared shocking pictures with Daily Mail Australia (pictured) from hospital, showing her shirt covered in blood after being stabbed in the back
A female officer was nearly stabbed in the neck while police unsuccessfully tried to taser him to stop the carnage, before shooting him in the chest.
‘I saw the man run past being chased by two officers,’ the witness said.
‘They were trying to stop him with their tasers, but he wasn’t stopping.
‘He then ran towards the female officer and swiped towards her neck.
‘It was at that point I took my daughter behind the counter and then heard the gun shot. They immediately asked for medical support.
A police van is seen outside South Hedland Square (pictured) where multiple people were stabbed by a man wielding a carving knife on Friday morning
‘Once I knew it was safe, I was helped to get out the back door to shield my daughter from it.
‘I can not thank the police officers enough and just hope the others hurt will be OK.
‘The police deserve a medal, they were heroes. If it weren’t for them, more people would have been hurt or even killed.’
Armed with a carving knife, the man was said to have swung at a women with a toddler in her trolley – stabbing her in the back, leg and hands.
The attack has left five people in South Hedland Hospital, two are in a serious but stable condition and three others are stable – with one man who was stabbed in the neck.
The incident is not believed to be terror-related, but police are still investigating.
The stabbing rampage took place in South Hedland in northern Western Australia (pictured)
Police were called to the scene at around 10am on Friday morning after reports of an armed offender.
An eye witness said she was leaving the mall when she saw the man swinging at a mother with a large carving knife.
‘I saw this guy swinging a great big knife at this lady who had a toddler in the trolley,’ the told ABC.
‘Then he gave up on her and came in, because I was there, and was swinging at me. I didn’t know where to go, but I got out of the road.
‘Fortunately there were two police officers at the entrance of Kmart, they heard the lady screaming and they took off after this guy.
South Hedland Police issued a tweet asking people to avoid the area, and confirmed someone had been shot
The terrifying incident took place at South Headland Square shopping centre in Western Australia (pictured)
‘Another bloke walked in from outside and he came up to me and said he’s been stabbed, he was stabbed in the neck.’
WA Police confirmed that a man had died as a result of the incident, and there were ‘a number of people who received injuries’.
Major Crime Division and Professional Standards Division will investigate the circumstances surrounding the police shooting.
The public were advised to avoid the area.
‘The public are being asked to avoid the South Hedland Square shopping Centre on Throssell Road due to a police incident,’ they wrote on Twitter.
Police in Western Australia shot an armed offender at a shopping centre on Friday morning (pictured, an earlier raid)
‘Police responded to the shopping centre just before 10am to reports of an armed offender. Officers have discharged a firearm. SJA were called to assist.’
One witness said the attacker was shot outside a Boost Juice in the shopping centre.
‘Police tried to taser the attacker but shot him when the taser didn’t work,’ a witness told The Western Australian.
‘(There were) multiple ambulances, many centre workers visibly distressed including one who I saw throwing up.’