One man is dead and two others are critically injured following a stabbing attack in Merrylands, a suburb in western Sydney, on Tuesday morning. The attack unfolded along a busy shopping strip on Merrylands Road shortly after 10:00 am, prompting a large-scale emergency response and a police manhunt.
Police were initially called to reports of a man stabbing multiple people before fleeing on foot, according to New South Wales Police. Paramedics arrived at the scene to find three individuals with serious injuries. A man, believed to be in his 30s or 40s, died at the scene. A 22-year-old man and a 47-year-old woman were transported to hospital in critical condition.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene. Joseph Roussini, 59, told reporters he heard a woman screaming and saw a man attacking her. “I could see a man and a lady coming out of the shop, and the man was holding the lady by the neck, and there was blood pouring out of her neck, and he was trying to stop the bleeding,” Roussini said. Bystanders rushed to provide assistance until paramedics arrived.
The attack occurred both inside a premises – identified as Bina’s Nepalese grocery store – and on the footpath, spanning a crime scene approximately 50 metres in length. One shop owner reported hearing a scream and seeing people running from the area. Another witness described seeing police cars and helicopters in the immediate aftermath.
Following inquiries, a 25-year-old man was arrested on Smythe Street in Merrylands, approximately a short distance from the initial attack location. NSW Police Superintendent Simon Glasser confirmed the man was taken to Granville Police Station and is expected to be charged. Glasser stated the alleged offender is known to police for petty crime and has a history of mental health incidents. “It was highly confronting. It’s a horrible offence to have taken place,” Glasser said.
Superintendent Glasser also confirmed that, at this time, there appears to be no relationship between the three victims. “As far as we’re aware at this moment, there is no relationship between the three victims,” he stated.
Police have recovered a kitchen knife with a blade estimated to be between 20 and 30 centimetres in length, which they believe was used in the attack. The investigation is ongoing, and a crime scene has been established.
