What Happened During the Stabbing Outside a Shopping Centre in Australia?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- A man was hospitalized following a stabbing outside a shopping centre in Melbourne.
- The altercation involved two male pedestrians.
- The attacker was restrained by bystanders before police arrived.
- Police deem the incident to be isolated and random.
- There have been recent similar incidents raising safety concerns.
Sydney, July 15 (NationPress) A man has been hospitalized following a stabbing incident outside a shopping centre in Melbourne, Australia.
According to the police in Victoria, two male pedestrians were seen engaged in a heated argument outside the shopping centre in Moonee Ponds, located 7 km northwest of central Melbourne, on Monday afternoon. During the altercation, one man stabbed the other with a knife.
The victim, aged 44, sustained injuries to his neck and chest and was promptly taken to the hospital for medical attention.
The alleged assailant, a 55-year-old man, was held by bystanders until law enforcement arrived. He was subsequently taken into custody and charged with recklessly causing injury, intentionally causing injury, and assault with a weapon, according to reports from Xinhua news agency.
Following his arrest, the police called in the counter-terrorism unit due to his behavior, but Acting Inspector Raj Tillekeratne informed the media on Tuesday that the incident is being regarded as a random and isolated event.
"We have no evidence to suggest that this is motivated by either religious or political factors," Tillekeratne stated.
He noted that the 44-year-old was fortunate to have only incurred minor injuries.
In a related incident on July 3, gunfire was aimed at a residence in Sydney's inner west, with a suspected getaway vehicle set ablaze, according to police reports.
Officers who responded to the scene discovered damage consistent with a projectile, but no one was inside the property at the time, and there were no injuries reported.
A crime scene was established at the residence, and an investigation is underway to determine if the house was the intended target of the gunfire.