OAN’s Brooke Mallory
1:54 PM – Monday, April 15, 2024
Australian police reported that a teenager was taken into custody on Monday in the suburbs of Sydney following a stabbing incident that left multiple people injured, including a beloved local bishop, inside a church.
Witnesses to the bishop’s service, both inside the building and through the church’s webcast, learned later that a 15-year-old boy had been arrested for the stabbing.
Acting Assistant Police Commissioner Andrew Holland of New South Wales stated that the suspect was receiving treatment for hand wounds. The incident also provoked an assembly of churchgoers outside the building.
The police stated that they had been called to an address in Wakeley “due to reports that multiple people had been stabbed.”
“Officers arrested a male and he is assisting police with inquiries. The injured people suffered non-life threatening injuries and are being treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics,” a police statement shared with CBS News stated.
In a number of videos making the rounds on social media, a man dressed in black is seen stabbing a bishop many times as he approached the altar. After the attack, others are seen running toward the man and yelling.
The address of the Assyrian Christian church “Christ the Good Shepherd Church” corresponds to the address mentioned by the police in their statement.
According to The Associated Press, the church’s bishop was highlighted in a national news story last year when the Australian Broadcasting Corporation included him in a story about a campaign aimed at the LGBTQ+ community. Nevertheless, it is unclear if the most recent attack correlated to previous reports of the church’s opposition to LGBTQ topics.
Additionally, churchgoers who spoke with the press claim that the 15-year-old was proclaiming his Islamic faith and condemning the bishop’s message. However, this has not been confirmed by the police, and they have not released any statements regarding the teen’s religion or reason for the attack.
Previously, during the COVID-19 era, Bishop Emmanuel gained notoriety for calling Sydney’s COVID-19 lockdowns “mass slavery,” in addition to asserting that COVID-19 vaccines are useless since immunity is boosted naturally by leading a “normal” life without fear.
Social media users chimed in and posted videos of the incident as well as theories regarding what led to the attack.
However, in a press conference, Acting Assistant Commissioner Andrew Holland of New South Wales appeared to be sympathetic to the 15-year-old assailant.
“Police have initially spoken to the young person again, his injuries are quite severe in his hand,” Holland said, adding: “He’s fairly upset and very distraught…”
“He’s asked to speak to his parents at this stage, and we’re making arrangements with his parents to make contact with him.”
AC Holland concluded, “Police are obviously making sure that that young person is safe and, and obviously with the action of the parishioners and obviously the local community, there was concerns for his safety.”
NSW Police stated that Bishop Emmanuel had “non-life threatening injuries,” while NSW Ambulance reported that four individuals had been badly hurt in the incident and had been taken to the hospital.
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