4 dead, 20 hurt as car rams Melbourne shoppers

A car plowed into pedestrians on a popular shopping strip in the heart of Australia’s second-largest city on Friday, killing four people including a young child and injuring dozens more. Police said they were not considering the incident an act of terrorism.
“This individual is not related to any counter-terrorism or any terrorism-related activities,” said Graham Ashton, chief commissioner for the state of Victoria.
“He is not on our books as having any connection with terrorism and we are not regarding this as a terrorism-related incident.
“What we do know of the person is there is an extensive family violence history involved.”
“The prayers and heartfelt sympathies of all Australians are with the victims and the families of the victims of this shocking crime in Melbourne today,” Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said in a statement.
Police shot the 26-year-old male driver in the arm and arrested him.
Three people were killed at different locations on Bourke Street, a man and a woman in their 30s and a child whose age was not given for privacy reasons, Ashton said.
A fourth person was confirmed dead by police late Friday, but their age and gender were not released.
Fifteen others were hurt. Five were in a critical condition, including an infant, he added.
Moments before, passers-by had watched astonished as the driver gesticulated out the window and spun the maroon-colored saloon round a major intersection, blocking traffic.
The trail of violence took place barely a kilometer away from Melbourne Park where the world’s top tennis stars were playing the opening Grand Slam of the year in a city teeming with tourists.
The driver allegedly stabbed his brother in the suburb of Windsor six kilometers south of Bourke Street early on Friday, Ashton said.
Police had tried to intercept his car before it entered the city. He was seen driving erratically outside Melbourne’s main train station in the afternoon.
“We believe this male did some ‘doughnuts’ at Flinders Street and Swanston Street, turned left into the Bourke Street mall and deliberately drove into the crowd, continued along the footpath colliding with further pedestrians,” Police Acting Commander Stuart Bateson said.
The suspect was charged last weekend by police, Aston added, without giving further details.
“He has come to our attention on many occasions in the past. We have mental health and drug-related issues in the background of this particular person.
“He has been coming to our attention more recently over recent days in relation to assaults, family violence-related assaults.”
The Royal Children’s Hospital said it was treating three children aged three months, two years and nine years. A fourth child aged 13 was treated and discharged late Friday.

Source: Arab News