Sydney Shooter Forced Victim to Kneel

An inquest into last month’s attack on a Sydney cafe revealed the circumstances in which hostages Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson died. The court heard that gunman Man Haron Monis forced Johnson, a 34-year-old cafe manager, to kneel before he shot him in the back of the head. “The shot was witnessed by a police marksman who called it in,” said Jeremy Gormly SC, the counsel assisting the inquest. “That resulted in an immediate order to force entry of the cafe.” Dawson, a 38-year-old lawyer, was killed by police bullet fragments that ricocheted off a hard surface when the police stormed the cafe to end the 16-hour siege. The inquest was also told that Monis was struck in the head by at least two police bullets or bullet fragments and in the body by an additional 11 bullets or fragments. Fragments of police bullets wounded three other hostages and one tactical response officer, who are all recovering. Monis was out on bail and facing trial when he took 18 people hostage in the Lindt Chocolat Cafe in Sydney.