Man seen charging with machete at Melbourne mall, panicked shoppers flee

Photos and videos on social media show a man with a machete approaching two others in the food court of a shopping centre in Melbourne.

A shopping centre in Melbourne, Australia, was allegedly locked down on Sunday after unverified photos online showed a man charging with a machete, with reports of people being stabbed emerging as well.

The unidentified man was seen charging with a machete at the Melbourne mall(Drew Pavlou/X)

(Hindustan Times has not been able to independently verify the authenticity of the image.)

Videos on social media show panicked customers running away, with a local news channel, 7News Melbourne, alleging that four people had been stabbed after a fight broke out among 10 teenagers, with at least one of them armed with a machete.

Victoria police personnel have rushed to the area as well as ambulances. A man in his 20s is being treated for serious injuries to his upper body but is in stable condition, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). 

The police have also arrested two males, as per ABC, after visuals were aired of a man being restrained by police officers and escorted from the building in handcuffs.

Victorian police did not comment on the reported use of a machete or large knife, but confirmed the shopping complex had been placed into lockdown, reported The Guardian. 

Shoppers panic

“Police are responding to reports of numerous people fighting at a shopping centre on Murray Road in Preston this afternoon,” a spokesperson said on Sunday.

Michael Pavlou, who was at the shopping centre, stated that he did not witness any altercation but heard people stating that someone had a machete amid panicked scenes. 

“There was confusion. There was definitely panic. Everyone was trying to get out. The car park became gridlock. After getting out, we started hearing sirens and a helicopter," he told The Guardian.