Australian police arrest male suspect following stabbing attack at Sydney church

City skyline in Sydney, Australia. / Irina Sokolovskaya/Shutterstock

CNA Newsroom, Apr 15, 2024 / 07:30 am (CNA).

Australian police have confirmed another stabbing incident in Sydney after shocking video footage of a man apparently attacking a church leader went viral on social media on Monday. 

In a first statement, New South Wales police urged the community to avoid the area, saying several people were stabbed in the Monday incident, suffering “non-life threatening injuries”. The alleged attacker appears to have been apprehended. Police said they “arrested a male and he is assisting police with inquiries”. 

NSW Ambulance paramedics reportedly treated the injured at the scene. 

The victim in the video was identified to CNA by persons familiar with the community as Bishop Mar Mari Emanuel, a former member of the Ancient Church of the East and current leader of the Sydney-area Christ the Good Shepherd Church. 

While exact circumstances of the stabbing are yet to be confirmed, the attack occurred just after 7 p.m. local time, during which the community attends Bible classes, according to the church’s website. 

The attack is the second stabbing incident in Sydney within two days. Six people died in a knife attack on Saturday at a mall in the Bondi area.

Rody Sher contributed to this report.