Man stabbed brother ‘for being gay’ before killing four pedestrians in rampage in Melbourne
A driver who killed four people in Melbourne yesterday allegedly stabbed his brother for being gay before going on a rampage.
Dimitrious James Gargasoulas (Jimmy), 26, killed four people and injured 20 others in Melbourne, Australia, after he ploughed through a crowd in his car.
Gargasoulas’ mother, Emily, has now claimed that her son fought with his brother, Angelo, over his sexuality and allegedly stabbed him in the face before going on the rampage.
“Jimmy keeps saying to me, I’m going to kill all gays and p**fters and lesbians,” Ms Gargasoulas said. “He’s not the Jimmy I used to know from years back. I don’t want to be known that I’m the mother.”
It’s reported that after attacking his brother, Gargasoulas then took his pregnant girlfriend Akiir Muo ‘hostage’ and drove to Melbourne from his home in New South Wales, before attacking pedestrians with his car.
Muo said: “He kept saying ‘I can’t let you out of my sight, if you don’t come with me I’m going to kill you.’”
Gargasoulas allegedly drove erratically but Muo was let free after he pushed her out of the car at 11am.
He then made his was to the Bourke Street Mall and ran over a crowd of pedestrians at 1.50pm. Police took him into custody, but he is in hospital after police shot him in an attempt to subdue him.
The attack came after he made a series of threats on Facebook in which he declared war.
“I declare war on tyranny today you dogs will have the option to either believe in me and his positive energy he offers and stay faithful to me or serve the one who enslaves you at his feet,” read one of the threats.
Victoria’s Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton debunked rumours that Gargasoulas’ attack could be deemed a terrorist act.
Ashton said: “This individual is not related to any counter-terrorism or any terrorism-related activities. He is not on our books as having any connection with terrorism and we’re not regarding this as a terrorism-related incident.”
