A Melbourne shopping centre has been locked down after Victoria police responded to reports of numerous people fighting.
Images posted on social media show an altercation between three men at Nortland shopping centre, with one brandishing a large blade. Guardian Australia has not independently verified the photos.
Victorian police did not comment on the reported use of a machete or large knife, but confirmed the shopping complex had been placed into lockdown.
“Police are responding to reports of numerous people fighting at a shopping centre on Murray Road in Preston this afternoon,” a spokesperson said on Sunday.
“The shopping centre has been locked down while the incident is ongoing.”
Customers were reportedly locked inside stores as police responded to the incident.
Michael Pavlou, who was at Northland shopping centre with his three-year-old son, described scenes of “panic” and “confusion”.
“As I walked out of Coles, I saw a group of people running,” Pavlou said.
“They looked young. At first, I thought they may have stolen something. But then I noticed more people running and then everyone running.
“As we started running, I turned to the person next to me and said ‘what’s going on?’. They said ‘Someone has got a machete’. I had my son in the trolley with our groceries.”
Pavlou said he did not see the incident that sparked the chaos. He said people were running through Myer and the food court.
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“When you see that many people running in a shopping centre, it’s not good,” Pavlou said.
“You don’t want to stick around and see what’s happening.
“There was confusion. There was definitely panic. Everyone was trying to get out. The car park became gridlock. After getting out, we started hearing sirens and a helicopter.”
Police were to provide further information later on Sunday.
More to come
