This archive report was first published on 13 August 2019.
On August 13, 2019, a dramatic scene unfolded in Sydney, Australia, as a knife-wielding man caused chaos in the city centre. However, thanks to the quick thinking and bravery of two brothers, Paul and Luke O'Shaugnessy, the situation was brought under control.
Paul, a former footballer who played for Bury FC between 1999 and 2004, was with his brother Luke when they spotted the man brandishing the weapon. The pair, who were in their office on York Street, immediately sprang into action, racing down to give chase to the suspect.
As they pursued the attacker, they were joined by other passers-by, including two firefighters. The brothers eventually caught up with the suspect and, with the help of the others, were able to restrain him using a milk crate and a chair.
Speaking to reporters, Paul said, "I didn't even think about it. I just thought is my brother going to be OK as we ran towards him." He added, "Our values as brothers is we are protectors."
Brother Luke, 30, also spoke about their actions, saying, "I just wanted to make sure he couldn't hurt anyone else. We've talked before about what we would do when we hear about these things happening around the world. We're the kind of guys who ask questions later and act on instinct."
The suspect, a 21-year-old man from Maryong in New South Wales, was arrested and is being investigated for allegedly yelling "Allahu akbar", or "God is great", during the attack. However, police are not treating it as a terror incident.
Police confirmed that the suspect attempted to stab several people in the Australian city before being arrested. A woman was found dead in a building nearby, and police are investigating if the earlier stabbing at a hotel on the corner of Clarence and King streets was linked to the street attacks.
