Westfield Bondi Junction: Major incident unfolding at Sydney shopping centre with reports of a stabbing

Four people have reportedly been stabbed, one fatally, and a man has been shot dead by police at the major Sydney shopping centre in Bondi Junction.

Witnesses say a man was chasing and slashing people with a knife, before the Westfield complex in Sydney's eastern suburbs was evacuated and locked down.

It’s understood at least four people people have been stabbed with one reported dead.

The knife-wielder has also been reported as shot by police. 

Police – including the Tactical Operations Unit – and ambulances have attended the scene, with people seen screaming and crying out the front of the complex.

Paramedics have taken two people to hospital in ambulances so far, while bystanders have seen multiple people outside the shopping centre with blood on their clothes.

A young witness currently locked inside a store - said she has heard gunshots and 'blood-curdling' screams.

'We are absolutely terrified,' she said.

Earlier panicked people were seen running across the pedestrian bridge outside the centre in video posted to social media.

Others said they were being evacuated from the centre's car park. 

Police are attending the scene in numbers. 

Eastern suburbs local Ted Helliar posted to X: 'Something just went down at Westfields Bondi junction.' 

'We were up there and all of a sudden all these people running towards us. Next thing dozens and dozens of people all running a screaming some bloke yells "someone is stabbing everyone get out of here".'

Another person whose friend had a daughter in the complex at the time of the alleged stabbing shared screenshots of her messages online.

'We just heard gunshots,' the daughter texted.

'Get to cover,' her parent replied.

'Please, please be safe.' 

Another X user said hundreds of shoppers were hiding in the back of the David Jones department store, which had pulled down its shutters with reports a man had been seen running with a gun in the centre.

A police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia on Saturday afternoon that a major police operation is under way and officers were gathering details at the scene.