Face of Nation : A Sydney man accused of killing a woman before unleashing “terrifying carnage” in a stabbing rampage in Sydney’s CBD was allegedly carrying material about mass casualty terrorist events.
Mert Ney, 21, was arrested on Tuesday after he allegedly stabbed a 41-year-old woman at the Hotel CBD about 2pm and then tried to stab countless others as he wandered the streets before being detained near Wynyard station.
“There was certainly information found on him about other crimes of mass casualties and mass deaths around the world,” Mr Fuller said, adding the material was discovered on a USB drive. “It will certainly be reassessed by the Joint Counter Terrorism Team to see if we have to reassess that terrorism threat.” The Marayong man, who’s under police guard in hospital, had a history of mental health issues.
He was known to police but Mr Fuller said his history was “unremarkable” compared to the gravity of Tuesday’s alleged crimes. Mr Fuller was asked about reports the 21-year-old may have absconded from a mental health facility before “breaking” on Tuesday. “If I was forced to make a call … the evidence all points to that,” he replied.
Police were initially notified about 2pm that a man armed with a knife and wearing a balaclava was on York Street. Witnesses said the man appeared drug-affected. What followed was six minutes of “terrifying carnage”, Mr Fuller said. The 41-year-old woman was stabbed in the back in a random attack at Hotel CBD. She’s in a stable condition in hospital.
Three members of the public who gave chase and detained the attacker using chairs and a milk crate were “highest order heroes”, the commissioner concluded.
Superintendent Gavin Wood said the men’s intervention had stopped other people from being hurt and described them as “significantly brave”.”These people are heroes,” he told reporters. Mr Fuller said while police weren’t looking for any other offenders they couldn’t discount coming across other crime scenes as the investigation continues. Officers are searching Ney’s western Sydney home.
