Add CategoryVETERAN Seven reporter Chris Reason, who held an all-night vigil in the network’s studios across from the Lindt Café with a police sniper, said gunman Man Haron Monis became agitated prior to the shootout and may have panicked when hostages tried to escape.
Reason said he saw movement about 1.50am as the hostages were shuffled from one end of the cafe to the other.
Channel Seven news reporter Chris Reason. Picture: Twitter Source: Twitter
“The gunman appeared agitated, he didn’t know what to do with them,’’ he told Seven’s Sunrise show today.
“He was sort of corralling them down one end and then down the other and moving around sort of randomly.’’
The veteran reporter said it was difficult to tell what was going on in the cafe but as one group of hostages was moved to one end of the cafe a second group were left behind at the other.
“And they were the group that made the initial break for freedom at three minutes past two this morning,’’ he said, adding that he had counted seven hostages making a break for it.
“Shortly after that several minutes passed of silence — nothing going on — and then we heard a loud shot ring out,’’ he said.
A hostage runs from the Lindt shop in Martin Place at the end of the siege. Picture: Gordon McComiskie Source: News Corp Australia
Police throw flash grenades and shoot at the gunman. Picture: Gordon McComiskie Source: News Corp Australia
An unconscious person and a conscious person are removed from the Martin Place Siege. Picture: Gordon McComiskie Source: News Corp Australia
Reason said he was ensconced in the Seven offices with the sniper and several other police logistics and technical people who were monitoring Seven’s cameras as they watched through the cafe’s four windows.
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Special operations police prepare to go in. Picture: Gordon McComiskie Source: News Corp Australia