What we do know

The siege is over. Two people are confirmed dead. One person is the gunman. Reports of a third death at this stage remain unconfirmed. 

Free: a hostage is taken away by paramedics. Photo: Andrew Meares

Police stormed the building after hostages began running from the cafe just after 2am. Multiple shots were fired. 

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The gunman is Man Haron Monis. He is not believed to have any formal links to any terror organisation. 

Some hostages are injured. At least four were taken to hospital via ambulance.

What we don't know

How the crescendo was reached. We know one man was seen running from the cafe at 2.03am. Several others ran out soon after, before the sound of gunshots. 

Who fired first. It is not yet known whether police started firing or were responding to the gunman firing shots. 

Who else is dead. The second person could be a hostage or a police officer. We don't yet know. 

How many hostages had been taken. Five escaped on Monday. Seven were seen running from the building just before police stormed the cafe on Tuesday morning. We don't know how many were left in there, including the number of injured. 

What specifically motivated the gunman. We do know he had been fighting a long and unsuccessful battle over his conviction for sending offensive letters to the families of dead Australian soldiers between 2007 and 2009.