Horror as man is attacked with an axe outside shopping centre

A man reportedly suffered facial injuries after being attacked with an axe outside a regional shopping centre.

The incident happened around 4pm on Thursday in the Tweed City centre on Minjungbal Drive in northern New South Wales.

Police have launched a manhunt to find the attacker, who fled the scene.

Several ambulances and police teams arrived on the scene.

A NSW Ambulance spokesperson said a man in his 20s suffered facial injuries in the attack and was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital in a stable condition.

Police sources told the Bulletin that construction tools were used in the incident, which witnesses said appeared to be an axe or machete.

A manhunt was launched on Thursday evening to find the perpetrator.

After the attack, terrified shoppers took to social media en masse, with one saying: “There was blood everywhere.”

Jacqueline Garbett wrote: “Wow, I just saw that guy… blood everywhere. I wondered what happened. Pretty scary.”

Allison Sultana added that one of her son’s friends tried to give first aid to the man who was struck with the tool, which he said was believed to have happened outside the Woolworths store.

Sara Georgi wrote that families and teenagers “streamed out of the center” when the attack happened and that police were “quickly” on the scene.

Lee Rowthrone added: “I was at Woolies and I walked past the sliding doors about 15 minutes before it happened. I’m counting my lucky stars.”

Another woman claimed that going to the shops these days is “scary”.

“You really have to be careful when you go to the store these days. Every day there’s a stabbing, an assault, an axe attack, a car theft… out of control!”

Kay Daniel added: “You’re not even safe when you go grocery shopping now.”

Another Facebook user criticised Tweed City’s management, arguing that the centre had not placed the centre in an emergency lockdown.

More to come