A man has died after a knife attack at a major Cairns shopping centre early this morning.
Key points:
- A 35-year-old man died at the scene after receiving a laceration to his throat in a knife attack
- A 39-year-old man was in custody and assisting police with their investigation
- A crime scene has been established, with parts of the Cairns Central shopping centre closed to the public
Police have alleged a 39-year-old man attacked a 35-year-old man with a knife on the ground floor of the Cairns Central shopping centre about 8:00am.
Detective Inspector Kevin Goan said the victim sustained lacerations to his throat and died about 20 minutes later.
Police said a man was in custody and assisting police with their investigation into the death.
Police officers could not say whether the two men were known to each other.
“Our immediate information is that it appears to have been a chance happening but the offender was resolute in what he had intended,” Detective Inspector Goan said.
“These investigations are in their infancy.”
ABC Far North: Mark Rigby
)While the shopping centre was not busy at the time, Detective Inspector Goan said there were multiple witnesses and ample CCTV footage that would assist their investigation.
“It’s fortuitous to our investigation that there was limited foot traffic but it’s also fortuitous that others aren’t exposed to what’s transpired here,” he said.
“As you would imagine with a stabbing incident there’s an amount of blood everywhere, but that’s about all I can say at this time.”
Forensic officers remain on the scene while parts of the shopping centre have been closed to the public.
