As he stepped out of the Channel 7 building on Monday morning, Jose Auditore thought armoured police were responding to an armed robbery in Martin Place.
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It was about 10.05am when the former Mudgee resident now Sydneysider, left the building that sits directly across from the Lindt Chocolat Cafe where gunman Man Haron Monis was holding 17 hostages captive.
“There were a lot of vans and guys started pouring out of them, just like in the movies,” Mr Auditore said.
He described how special operations police, wearing black armoured suits, climbed fire escapes and took vantage points in the surrounding buildings.
“The ones we saw coming out of the vans were pretty well armed,” Mr Auditore said.
“There were guys on the roofs pointing down. I just thought it was an armed robbery.”
He praised police for their quick action.
“All those training exercises and drills paid off, the way they [police] managed to get into the city so quietly.”
“This to me is not much different to a guy who holds up a court over a family law battle.”
Mr Auditore was among the immediate crowd of people herded along Macquarie Street to Hyde Park before large scale evacuations of Martin Place buildings.
“There was no screaming, no running, some people were taking selfies,” he said.
“There was a crowd in Hyde Park, everyone was milling around talking. We didn’t really know what was going on, people at home were more informed then people in the city.
“We weren’t scared. The mood in the park wasn’t sombre, just inquisitive.”
As the crowd grew he made the decision to leave.
“I just thought I’ve got to get out of the city as soon as possible.”
In his drive across the harbour bridge, radio reports confirmed a siege was under way in the Lindt cafe.
“It did shock me, I thought this might happen one day but not a lone gunman,” he said.
“This to me is not much different to a guy who holds up a court over a family law battle.”
He said he has been heartened by the #illridewithyou social media campaign supporting Muslim Australians.
“I really don’t think Australia has changed, people shouldn’t be spreading rumours about an ISIS death cult, this was one guy with a grudge trying to prove a point.”
Lindt cafe manager Tori Johnson, 34, and barrister Katrina Dawson, 38, were killed after being held hostage for 16 hours by the gunman.
Thousands of floral tributes have been left in Martin Place where a memorial has formed.
