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Sydney Hostage Siege Ends in Tragedy [VIDEO]
Hostage seen running out of Lindt cafe grabbing onto police officer.(photo/cbc.ca)
Two hostages are dead along with the gunman who held 17 people at gunpoint in a popular Sydney Cafe for more than sisteen hours.
A confrontation occurred at 2.00am (AEDT) between police and self-styled Iranian cleric Man Haron Monis, inside the Lindt Chocolate Cafe in Martin Place, Sydney Australia.
A group of hostages were seen running out of the cafe with their hands raised, followed by yelling and loud explosions from inside, just prior to police storming the building.
According to police, shots were fired, and the 50-year-old gunman was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The two hostages killed, a man aged 34 and a woman aged 38, were also pronounced dead after being taken to hospital.
Two women recieved non-life threatening injuries, while a police officer is in hospital with a gunshot wound to the face.
Monis, who was granted political asylum in Australia, was out on bail for a number of violent offences, including an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife.
NSW Premier Mike Baird addressed a media conference today and said: “I come before you with the heaviest of hearts. Unbelievably overnight, we have lost some of our own in an attack we never thought we would see here in our city.
“In the past 24 hours, this city has been shaken by a tragedy that none of us could have ever imagined. The values we held dear yesterday we hold dear today. They are the values of freedom, democracy, and harmony.
“These defined us yesterday, they will define us today, they will define us tomorrow. Our first thoughts and prayers this morning are with the innocent victims of this horrendous, vicious attack.”
Injured hostage being taken to hospital(photo/dailymail.co)
