A man is in police custody after authorities said he drove an SUV into a crowd of Christmas shoppers in Melbourne, Australia.

Victoria police called the attack a "deliberate act," but authorities were unsure of the motive.

The attack happened around 4:30 p.m. local time outside the Flinders Street station, CNN reported.

Flinders Street is one of the city’s busiest pedestrian roads. It connects a train station with the city center and was crowded as commuters traveled to and from work and as shoppers finished their Christmas shopping.

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Peggy Harris (foreground) stocks the shelves at Sandy's IGA, which is the only grocery store in town, Tuesday, October 7, 2025, in Sparta. Hancock County has one of the highest rates of childhood food insecurity in the country. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC