Disturbing footage surfaced on social media on Monday, depicting a horrific stabbing attack against a bishop during a live-streamed Assyrian church event in Australia.
The incident took place at Christ The Good Shepherd Church in a Sydney suburb around 7:15 p.m. local time. The footage captured the bishop, H.G. Mar Mari Emmanuel, delivering a sermon when a man dressed in black approached him and allegedly stabbed him repeatedly. The congregation reacted with shock and panic, scrambling to assist the bishop as the violent scene unfolded.
Reports indicate that four individuals, including Bishop Emmanuel, were stabbed during the incident. They were transported to Liverpool Hospital, where Bishop Emmanuel is reportedly in stable condition. The victims, described as men in their 50s, 30s, 20s, and another in his 60s, sustained lacerations but are expected to survive.
Law enforcement officials urged the community to steer clear of the area as they responded to the incident. Witnesses reported a riot breaking out in the streets following the stabbing, with some mentioning the use of capsicum spray.
This attack follows closely on the heels of another violent incident in Bondi Junction, Sydney, where six people lost their lives and 12 others were injured in a mass stabbing. Police fatally shot the suspect, Joel Cauchi, 40, who was reported to be struggling with mental health issues.
