SYDNEY: A man was killed, and two others were critically injured in a stabbing attack along a busy commercial strip in western Sydney on Tuesday, police said.
The attack took place in the suburb of Merrylands on Merrylands Road in the state of New South Wales (NSW), where emergency services responded to reports that a man had stabbed several people before fleeing on foot, according to ABC News.
A man believed to be in his 30s or 40s died at the scene despite efforts by paramedics to revive him.
A 22-year-old man and a 47-year-old woman were taken to the hospital in critical condition, authorities said.
Police confirmed that two of the stabbings occurred inside a business premises, while a third took place on the footpath outside.
Officers later arrested a suspect behind a nearby house on Smythe Street. He was taken to Granville Police Station.
“The alleged offender is known to police for petty crime and a number of mental health incidents,” NSW Police Superintendent Simon Glasser said.
A crime scene has been established as investigators work to determine the motive behind the attack.
Australia has relatively low rates of violent crime compared with many Western countries, and strict gun control laws mean that mass shootings are rare. However, knife-related incidents — including isolated stabbing attacks — have periodically raised public concern.
Recent High-Profile Incidents
In April 2024, a mass stabbing at Bondi Junction in Sydney shocked the nation, prompting a large-scale police response and renewed debate about public safety and mental health interventions.
Separate stabbing incidents have also occurred in Melbourne and other urban centres in recent years, often involving lone suspects and, in several cases, individuals known to police for prior offences or mental health issues.
The most recent major gun attack in Australia occurred in December 2025, when a mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney targeted a Jewish community event during Hanukkah celebrations. The attack left 15 people dead and dozens injured, making it the deadliest mass shooting in Australia in nearly three decades
