Westfield Bondi Junction looked exactly like it usually does on a Saturday afternoon. Hundreds of people crammed into the centre - packs of teenagers, parents with grumbling kids, and weary customers sneaking a caffeine hit between shops.
Just minutes from Sydney's famous Bondi Beach, this is one of the most popular shopping centres in the country - and it is so big it even has its own train station.
But just after 15:00 local time, it turned into a horror scene.
Shoppers looked on helplessly as a mother tried to shield her infant from a knife-wielding man. Some ran for their lives, screaming and crying - others hid in change rooms. Blood-soaked bodies lay on the ground outside luxury stores. A hero armed with a pole was captured on CCTV trying to bat away the assailant.
Later, a lone cop stared down the knifeman and fired.
At least six people - plus the attacker - are now dead. Eight were taken to hospital injured, including a nine-month-old baby.
Little else is known about the incident. Authorities say the 40-year-old killer was "known to police", but they haven't revealed a motive for the rampage - only indicating it likely wasn't terrorism.
Hours on, the flashing lights of ambulances illuminate crowds milling behind police tape, who are trying to make sense of what they've seen.
A few people embrace. Some, through tears, tell journalists they thought they were going to die. Others silently sit on the sidewalk in shock. BBC