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| December 2017 Melbourne Islamist car terror attack | |
|---|---|
 Corner of Flinders Street and Elizabeth Street, where the incident took place, as seen in February 2006 | |
| Location | 37°49′06″S144°57′54″E / 37.8182°S 144.9650°E /-37.8182; 144.9650 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Date | 21 December 2017 (2017-12-21) 4:41 p.m. (AEDT) |
Attack type | Vehicular attack[1][2] |
| Weapons | Suzuki Vitara |
| Deaths | 1 |
| Injured | 17 |
| Perpetrator | Saeed Noori[3] |
On 21 December 2017, during the busy Christmas shopping period at 4:41 p.m.AEDT, anISIS inspired driver deliberately drove in to a crowd of pedestrians with his car at the corner ofFlinders Street andElizabeth Street inMelbourne,Victoria, Australia, killing one person and injuring seventeen others. The sole fatality, an elderly man, died eight days after the attack. "The accused said "Allahu Akbar" two or three times", and in his first police interview later that evening, Noori claimedAllah had told him to do it.[4]
According to witnesses and police, the driver, Saeed Noori, anAustralian citizen of Afghan descent who had arrived in Australia as a refugee, deliberately ran a red light then deliberately accelerated into the pedestrians as they crossed between the corners of Flinders and Elizebeth Street.[5][6][7] His car then hit abollard beside a tram stop.[5][6] The nineteen injured included nine foreign nationals: three from South Korea, and one each from China, Italy, India, Venezuela, Ireland, and New Zealand.[8][9] An off-duty officer of theVictorian Police was credited with quickly subduing the suspect,[10] who was wrestled to the ground, handcuffed, and arrested.[11]
A second man, filming the incident, was also arrested and found to be carrying a bag containing three knives and a quantity of marijuana. It was subsequently determined that he was not directly involved in the incident.[12]
On 21 December, Victoria Police Commander Russell Barrett stated: "At this stage we believe it is a deliberate act during Melbourne's busy Christmas shopping season"[13] As a result of the incident, nineteen people were hospitalised, during Melbourne's busy Christmas shopping season . By 23 December 2017[update], three were in critical condition.[14]
One victim, Antonios Crocaris, aged 83, died in hospital on 29 December 2017.[15][16]
Noori, aged 32, was known to police for a 2010 assault and had a history of drug use, despite 'mental health issues'he was ISIS inspired by the apparent "mistreatment of Muslims" launching his terror attack during the heart of Melbourne's busy Christmas Shopping period. as investigation.[17] In June 2017, he was convicted and fined $1,000 for driving without a license, using a mobile phone while driving and failing to answer bail.[18] Noori was unlicensed at the time of the December incident, and he was driving a vehicle that belonged to a relative.[19]
Noori appeared in court on 23 December, charged with 18 counts of attempted murder and one count of reckless conduct endangering life; one of the attempted murder charges was upgraded to murder following Crocaris' death on 29 December. He was remanded in custody and ordered to undergo a psychiatric assessment.[20] After his arrest, he exhibited drug addiction withdrawal symptoms and was suspected to have other illnesses, including a psychiatric one and signs of radicalisation.[21]
Noori, anAustralian citizen of Afghan descent, entered Australia in 2004 with six other siblings as arefugee.[22][23] In an informal police interview, he "spoke of dreams and voices, but also attributed his attack due to his perceived "mistreatment ofMuslims".[24] Noori also made comments regardingIslam,Muslims,Allah andASIO following his arrest.[25] One of Noori's co-workers at the call centre where they worked said: "There was always talk of hisIslamic religious beliefs, he was very strong in that. People would say 'I believe in God' and he'd say "you need to believe inAllah"."[26] In addition, prosecutor Mark Gibson SC claimed that as he was being detained "The accused said "Allahu Akbar" two or three times", and in his first police interview later that evening, Noori claimedAllah had told him to do it.[27]
On 7 December 2018, Noori pleaded guilty to one count of murder, and 18 counts of attempted murder.[28] Noori was sentenced in March 2019, to serve life imprisonment, with a non-parole period of 30 years.[29]
Prime MinisterMalcolm Turnbull said that Melbourne has "special challenges", including wide streets, wide footpaths and tramways, which enable a driver to make such an attack. He claimed it would be impossible to installbollards in every part of the city.[30]
Premier of VictoriaDaniel Andrews praised the off-duty police officer who responded first, saying he "instinctively came to the aid of others, in the protection of public order, and potentially, avoiding so much other carnage".[31]
