The man who went on a stabbing spree at a Sydney shopping centre, in Australia, killing six people and injuring others before being shot dead by police, was “known to police” they have revealed.

The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon at the Westfield shopping centre in Bondi Junction.

A female inspector confronted the attacker and fatally shot him as he lunged at her with a knife.

The police identified the assailant as a 40-year-old man who had previous interactions with law enforcement.

Authorities said that they do not believe the attack was motivated by terrorism.

A nine-month-old infant has undergone surgery and eight people, including the child, are in hospitals around Sydney receiving treatment for “different injuries”.

Reports have suggested the woman who died in hospital is the child’s mother.

New South Wales Police Commissioner Karen Webb told a press conference that her officers “believe that he is a 40-year-old man”.

She added: “If in fact it is the person that we believe it is, then we don’t have fears for that person holding an ideation – in other words, that it’s not a terrorism incident.

“He is known to law enforcement but we are waiting to identify him formally.”

Emergency services were called to Westfield Bondi Junction following reports that multiple people had been stabbed at 3.30pm (6.30am UK time), police said.

Anthony Cooke, assistant commissioner of New South Wales Police, said the police officer “confronted the offender”.

At a press conference, he said: “As she continued to walk quickly behind to catch up with him he turned to face her, raised a knife, she discharged a firearm and that person is now deceased.”

He added: “This all happened very, very quickly – the officer that was in the vicinity attended on her own, was guided to the location of the offender by people who were in the centre.

“She took the actions that she did saving a range of people’s lives; (she was) an inspector, a senior police officer – she was on her own.

“She engaged immediately on her arrival to the scene.”

A shopper, who was not named, told ABC News of the moment he was shot: “He just started floating towards us and all I heard was ‘put it down’ and then she shot him.

“But we were in no doubt, if she didn’t shoot him, he would have kept going.

“He was on the rampage.

“Then she walked over and gave him CPR. He had a big blade on him – she chucked the knife away.

“He looked like he was on a killing spree.”

A man at the shopping centre said he helped the baby who had been stabbed.

The man told 9News Sydney: “The baby got stabbed.

“The mum got stabbed and came over with a baby and threw it at me – I was holding the baby, it looked pretty bad.”