On 15–16 December 2014, a lone gunman, Man Haron Monis, held hostage nine customers and eight employees of a Lindt chocolate café located at Martin Place in Sydney, Australia.After a 16-hour standoff, during which areas of the Sydney central business district surrounding the site were cordoned off and nearby buildings locked down, police officers from the Tactical Operations Unit stormed the café upon hearing gunshots from inside. At least one hostage was shot by Monis, who himself was shot dead after police entered in response. Two hostages died, while three hostages and a police officer were injured during the police raid.
