GUNMAN AND TWO OTHERS DEAD IN SYDNEY HOSTAGE CRISIS

A gunman who burst into a Sydney chocolate shop and took hostages has been killed, along with two of the hostages, Australian police said.

Mr Johnson, 34, was shot dead after he tried to wrestle the gun

from Islamic extremist Man Haron Monis inside the cafe just after 2am

The suspect was identified by police as Man Haron Monis. He was declared dead at the scene, New South Wales Deputy Commissioner Catherine Burn said. Tori Johnson, a manager of the store, was killed, according to Lindt Chocolate Cafe Australia. The other hostage who was killed was identified as attorney and mother of three Katrina Dawson, 38, according to the New South Wales Bar Association. Six people at the scene were treated for injuries.

Burn said that “from what I have heard, there were shots fired and an emergency plan was followed” but she could not confirm whether the gunman fired shots at the hostages. She said that Monis was on bail for another crime and police believe he was mentally unstable.

Police stormed the Lindt Chocolat Cafe in the early hours of Tuesday morning, ending the siege.

Ms Dawson, a 38-year-old whose children are all under 10, died in hospital.

She was a barrister at Eight Selborne Chambers in Sydney's Phillip Street,

opposite the site of the siege.

New South Wales Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said that the decision to enter the premises came after they heard gunshots coming from inside. Scipione also confirmed that, in total, Monis had been holding 17 people hostage, though up to 12 of those individuals had been able to get out of the store before police began their assault.

Scipione and New South Wales Premier Mike Baird said that Monis was a "lone gunman" and no explosives had been found in the area surrounding the Lindt Chocolat Cafe.

"We have lost some of our own in an attack we never thought we would see here in our own city," Baird said at a news conference Tuesday morning, local time.

Explosions of what were believed to be flash bang grenades were heard when police stormed the shop and while there were many loud noises, it is not clear if or how many shots were fired by either police or Monis during the face off.

At 10:19 a.m. ET, a group of at least seven heavily armed police officers went into the Lindt cafe under the cover of loud bangs of what local news Channel 9 is calling stun grenades. Shortly after the police stormed the café, at least two hostages emerged, looking visibly shaken.

A few minutes later, a few paramedics were seen entering the café behind police officers with medical packs -- followed by at least two stretchers. The explosive police action came shortly after a new wave of hostages emerged from the shop.

Monis was believed to be a self-proclaimed Islamic "sheikh" who is known to Australian police because he was allegedly involved in dozens of counts of sexual assault, according to Australia's 9News.

He was born in Iran as Manteghi Bourjerdi and migrated to Australia in 1996, according to the station.