A 17-hour armed siege in Sydney's Martin Place ended in tragedy as police stormed the Lindt Cafe, resulting in the deaths of two hostages and the gunman. The New South Wales police commissioner, Andrew Scipione, confirmed that a 34-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman were shot and died in hospital, while the 50-year-old gunman, Man Haron Monis, also died after the confrontation.
The victims were identified as cafe manager Tori Johnson and barrister Katrina Dawson, a mother of three. Four other people were injured, including two women with non-life threatening gunshot wounds, a male police officer with facial injuries, and two pregnant women taken to hospital for assessment.
The siege ended shortly after 2am local time when hostages fled the cafe, followed by stun grenades and gunfire as tactical operations officers stormed the building. A bomb disposal robot later found no explosives. Scipione described the incident as an isolated act of an individual.
Premier Mike Baird expressed a heavy heart, saying Sydney had been shamed by an unimaginable tragedy. Prime Minister Tony Abbott commended the courage of police and emergency services. A critical incident investigation has been launched with independent oversight.
Monis, known to police for prior offences including sending abusive letters and facing sexual assault charges, walked into the cafe on Monday morning carrying a blue sports bag, taking 17 hostages. Hostages were made to display a flag bearing the Islamic shahada, a common creed but also used by extremist groups.
