By Lewis Jackson, Stella Qiu and Scott Murdoch
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Several people were injured in a stabbing incident during a church service in a Sydney suburb on Monday, police said.
It was the second mass stabbing in just three days in Sydney, after six people were killed in a knife attack at a shopping center in the Bondi area.
Officers arrested a man and took him to an unknown location following the attack in Wakeley, about 30km (18 miles) west of Sydney’s central business district.
Police attempted to control the angry crowd gathered outside the church after the attack, demanding the suspect be taken out, according to a Reuters witness.
Monday’s attack occurred during a service at an Assyrian church called Christ The Good Shepherd Church. Videos of the incident circulating online showed a man standing at the church’s altar and speaking to worshipers as another man wearing a black sweater approached him and attacked him. Reuters has not verified the footage.
Horrified members of the congregation scream as the man stabs the priest several times in the chest, videos show.
The Church broadcast the sermons live on its social media page. The motive for the attack is unknown.
A witness told Reuters that the attacked priest was Mar Mari Emmanuel, bishop of the church.
“There was so much anger because the bishop is loved by them, he is loved by me too, he preaches about the Lord and we love the Lord,” said Canny, a local resident, who also saw an ambulance being loaded.
Emmanuel was ordained a priest in 2009 and then a bishop in 2011, according to the church’s website. The bishop appears to be a popular figure on social media, with clips of his sermons garnering millions of views on platforms including TikTok.
The injured people suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were treated by paramedics, police said.
The NSW 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 site.
“It is important that the community remains calm and continues to listen and act on direction from the police and emergency services,” New South Wales state premier Chris Minns said in a social media post.