Sydney siege: Heroism and tribute
A 16-hour hostage situation in a Sydney cafe has come to an end with three people dead, including the hostage-taker.
As Australia began to digest the events of Monday's deadly attack on the cafe, the two hostages who died have been hailed as heroes for the roles they played in ending the siege.
The 17-hour ordeal marked the country's first terrorist attack on home soil resulting in the loss of three lives, including that of gunman and self-styled cleric Man Haron Monis.
Katrina Dawson, a 38-year-old barrister and mother-of-two who worked in Sydney's central business district was named locally as one of the victims, alongside Tori Johnson, a 34-year-old café manager.
Social media users celebrated Mr Johnson as a hero after he was reportedly shot when trying to wrestle a gun from hostage-taker Monis as he appeared to fall asleep.
Ms Dawson was killed after trying to defend her pregnant colleague, Julie Taylor, according to Australia's News.com.
Deputy Police Commissioner Catherine Burn told The Age newspaper on Tuesday that he would not comment on claims Mr Johnson's bravery had allowed the other hostages to escape. Ms Burn said police were themselves yet to piece together what had transpired in the cafe, and that any investigation could take many months.
Both the hostages died of their wounds after armed officers stormed the Lindt Café in the heart of Sydney's business district, fearful that the prospect of doing nothing could have resulted in more loss of life.
In the meantime flags were lowered to half-staff on Sydney Harbour Bridge, an act copied around the country, while the state's premier expressed disbelief that the attack could happen in Australia — a place he dubbed "a peaceful, harmonious society which is the envy of the world."
Muslim leaders urged calm and asked that the event, which will almost certainly have ramifications on national security policy, was not seen as indicative of anything other than one ideologically warped gunman acting alone .
Time will tell how Australia responds to a tragedy of this magnitude.
(Source: BBC, Guardian, Independent)
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