OAN’s Brooke Mallory
1:54 PM – Monday, April 15, 2024
A teenage boy has been taken into custody after a stabbing in a Sydney church on Monday that left multiple people injured, including a local revered bishop, Australian police said.
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Those who witnessed the bishop’s service inside the building and via the church’s webcast later learned that a 15-year-old boy had been arrested on suspicion of stabbing.
NSW Acting Police Commissioner Andrew Holland said the suspect was being treated for wounds to his hand. The incident also prompted a gathering of church members outside the building.
Police said they were called to an address in Wakeley “on reports of multiple people being stabbed”.
“Officers have arrested a man and are assisting police with his investigation. The man is being treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics for non-life-threatening injuries,” a police statement said. did. CBS News said.
A number of videos circulating on social media show a man dressed in black stabbing the bishop multiple times as he approaches the altar. After the attack, other people were seen running towards the man and screaming.
The address of the Assyrian Christian church, Church of the Good Shepherd, matches the address given by police in a statement.
according to Associated Press, the church’s bishop made national headlines last year when the Australian Broadcasting Corporation featured him in an article about a campaign targeting the LGBTQ+ community. Nevertheless, it is unclear whether the recent attacks are correlated with previous reporting on the church’s opposition to LGBTQ topics.
Furthermore, church attendees who spoke to reporters claimed that the 15-year-old boy was proclaiming his Islamic faith and condemning the bishop’s message. However, police have not confirmed this and have not released a statement regarding the boy’s religion or the reason for the attack.
Previously, in the time of COVID-19, Bishop Emmanuel called Sydney’s COVID-19 lockdown “mass slavery” and went on to say that he lives a “normal” life without fear. He gained notoriety for claiming that COVID-19 vaccines are useless because immunity increases naturally. .
Social media users agreed, posting videos of the incident and theories about the cause of the attack.
But NSW Acting Chief Justice Andrew Holland appeared sympathetic to the 15-year-old perpetrator at a press conference.
“Police initially spoke to the young man again. The injury to his hand was quite severe,” Mr Holland said, adding: “He is quite shaken up and very distraught…”
“At this stage he has asked to speak to his parents and we are arranging contact with them.”
AC Holland concluded: “Police were clearly concerned about the young man’s safety and there was concern for his safety due to the actions of parishioners and clearly the local community.”
NSW Police said Bishop Emmanuel’s injuries were “non-life-threatening”, but NSW Ambulance reported four people were taken to hospital with serious injuries in the incident.
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