The gunman involved in the siege at Melbourne, Australia reportedly called the Channel Seven newsroom during the standoff, telling them “This is for IS”.
Police have confirmed they are investigating whether the incident is terror-related.
Three police officers were injured, a man killed, a woman held hostage and a suspect gunned down during the dramatic siege in the Melbourne bayside suburb of Brighton.
The suspect was shot by police in a volley of gunfire after the woman was taken hostage a the Buckingham Serviced Apartments in Bay Street. Police had arrived at the apartment block to find a man’s body in the foyer.
It’s not known whether he was injured or killed.
The condition of the police officers is not yet known or if the suspect is dead or injured.
Police had arrived at the apartment block to find a man’s body in the foyer while the suspect was holed up in one of the apartments with the woman.
Dozens of gunshots rang out just after 6pm in Bay Street with crowds of people fleeing and taking refuge in a nearby Coles supermarket.
About 6.20pm police removed what appeared to be a body on a stretcher.
Channel Seven said it received a call during the siege from a man, who said “This is for IS, this is for al-Qaeda”.
The call is believed to have come from within the building. A woman could be heard screaming in the background.
Three police officers were injured before the siege ended. Two were taken to hospital and another treated at the scene, police said.
It is not yet known if the suspect was injured or killed or the condition of the police officers.
Jack Reid, 20, of Brighton said he and his friends ran for his life.
“I was standing on the corner across the road,” he said.
“I saw police pull out their guns, I heard about three dozen gun shots. I got really scared and ran across the road. Police were telling everybody to get into the Coles supermarket so me and mates just ran.”
Police were called to Buckingham Serviced Apartments at 4pm after reports of an explosion.
On arrival, police found the body of a man who appears to have been shot in the foyer of the building, a police spokeswoman said.
“Police are attempting to negotiate with a man in one of the apartments,” the spokeswoman said.
“It’s believed he has a woman inside with him who he won’t allow to leave.”
Victoria Police specialist units are currently at the scene. The Nepean Highway and Hampton Street remain closed.
Kate Forster said she saw fire crews hiding behind their truck, empty cars left in the middle of the road and people stuck in the building next door to the siege.
“Can see them in the window looking distressed,” she said from the scene.
Graeme Hisgrove said he, his wife and teenage children had to hit their lounge room floor because of a volley of gunfire came from the serviced apartments next door just after 6pm.
“We’ve all hit the deck on our lounge floor,” Hisgrove said.]
He said tactical police were inside his property against the fence line.
Hisgrove said he heard a single gunshot on the other side of his fence between 4-4.30pm.
“It was one single bang. It was massive,” he said.
BREAKING: Police investigating whether Brighton siege is terror-related. Male caller to #7News newsroom: “This is for IS.” @PaulDowsley7 pic.twitter.com/LPDciDCIBh
— 7 News Melbourne (@7NewsMelbourne) June 5, 2017
He went out the front of his house and police had already surrounded the premises.
He said he and his family were now “waiting it out” inside their home.
“We’re a bit on edge,” he said.
Gunfire in Brighton at Bay Street. pic.twitter.com/46NnvgQvT4
— kateforster (@kateforster) June 5, 2017
Antonia Waite, who lives off Bay Street, says her daughter was in the front yard when police, armed with “big guns”, drove past about 4.30pm and told her to “go inside and lock the doors”.
Callers to radio station 3AW said they heard the sound of an explosion or loud bang like a gun shot.
A number of callers said they saw undercover armed police with bulletproof vests running up the street.
One person said police had arrested a person and who was handcuffed at a bus stop in Bay Street.
Another caller, Georgie, said she had seen police officers on their hands and knees with guns drawn at the entrance to the apartment block.
All northbound lanes of the highway were closed at Bay Street, a VicRoads spokesman said.
Hampton Street was also blocked to motorists.
The police spokeswoman said roads would be closed “for some time”.
Brighton: Police are attempting to negotiate with a man inside an apartment. It’s believed a woman is with him who he won’t allow to leave.
— Victoria Police (@VictoriaPolice) June 5, 2017
One person was killed in a suburb of Melbourne, Australia Monday afternoon and another taken hostage by a gunman who claimed he was acting on behalf of the ISIS terror group.
Police say an explosion was heard on Bay Street in Brighton at roughly 4:30 p.m. local time.
Officers responding to the explosion say they found the body of a man with bullet wounds near the scene of the explosion.
While on the scene, a gunman opened fire on the officers, wounding three of them.
The gunman took a woman hostage and called local news claiming the attack was motivated by his fealty to the ISIS terror group.
“This is for IS [Islamic State], this is for Al Qaeda,” the man told 7 News Melbourne.
Police say they were ultimately able to secure the hostage’s release and kill the gunman.
Authorities say the investigation into the attack is ongoing and no official determination has yet been made regarding the possibility of terrorism as the motive or ties to known terrorist groups.
“Police have resolved a hostage situation at an apartment block in Brighton,” a police spokesperson said.
“A man has been shot dead by police in the Bay Street apartment complex shortly before 6pm.”
“Police have safely rescued a woman who was being held against her will in the apartment block.”
The spokesperson said two of the three injured officers were evacuated to a local hospital, while one was treated on the scene.