Hostages Killed in Sydney Siege Identified

Two hostages who died as a result of the siege in Sydney have been identified as a barrister and the manager of the café where the crisis unfolded.

Katrina Dawson, a 38-year-old mother of three, was taken from the scene on a stretcher and pronounced dead at a local hospital, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. Tori Johnson, manager of the Lindt café in Martin Place, was named as the second fatality after the 16-hour standoff ended in a police shootout and the death of a lone gunman.

Dawson is said to have hailed from a prominent Australian family and was well-known among the city’s legal community. “Katrina was one of our best and brightest barristers who will be greatly missed by her colleagues and friends at the NSW Bar,” said Jane Needham, president of the New South Wales Bar Association.

Authorities identified the gunman as Man Haron Monis, a self-declared religious leader who was being investigated for murder and sexual assault.

Read more at the Sydney Morning Herald.