Tributes to Sydney standoff victims

(Updated)

Australia is still in mourning tonight in the wake of a deadly siege at a downtown Sydney cafe Monday which left the gunman and two hostages dead.

Thousands of people gathered at a plaza in central Sydney, less than a block away from where the hostage crisis happened, laying flowers and leaving messages to honour the lives lost.

It’s become a massive makeshift memorial for Australians to pay their respects to 34-year-old Katrina Dawson, a lawyer and mother of three who died in the incident allegedly shielding her pregnant friend from gunfire. And to also pay tribute to 38-year old Tori Johnson, the manager of the cafe, who is reported to have brought the situation to a head when he grabbed the hostage-takers gun.

Peter Manettas, friend of victim: “He was a leader and he always put his staff first. I can’t say enough about him. It doesn’t surprise me. He was never going to leave. He never would have left his staff there.”

Helen Harris, friend of victim: “Katrina was nothing, nothing short of formidable to be honest. She was probably the most intelligent person I knew. She had impeccable character. She was kind.”

And as Sydney remembers the victims, authorities are trying to figure out what happened and how they can stop anything like it from happening again. They’re investigating how the gunman was free on bail when he was facing serious charges, like being an accessory to murder. In the meantime, Operation Hammerhead is underway in the city with an increased police presence, especially at iconic areas like the Sydney Opera House and the harbour.