Auburn Central Shopping Centre evacuated as riot squad steps in

A suspicious item found at a busy metro shopping centre caused the evacuation of hundreds of shoppers and retail workers as police and the public order and riot squad swept the area. The incident happened at the Auburn Central Shopping Centre near Parramatta in Sydney’s west about noon on Wednesday. Resident Omar Sakr said on X (formerly Twitter) that the centre was closed, sirens were going off and streets were blocked as police swarmed the area. A police spokesman said a suspicious item was located in the vicinity of the centre that turned out to be nothing critical. The spokesman said police were now investigating whether the item was left there with malicious intent. Queen St, Vales Lane, Auburn Rd, Harrow Rd and Mary St were closed as police responded, and members of the public were advised to avoid the area. The non-suspicious item has now been removed and the shopping centre has reopened.