The man has been identified as 40-year-old Queensland man Joel Cauchi, who moved to Sydney from Brisbane last month.
Cauchi confronted people in the centre with a knife just after 3pm on Saturday, leaving six dead including five women, and 12 others injured.
The mass stabbing has prompted a massive police investigation.
So what do we know about the attacker, his motives, the victims and the female police officer who killed him? And what happens now?
Who is Joel Cauchi and what were his motives?
Speaking to the media on Sunday morning, NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke said the Bondi attacker was known to authorities in his home state and suffered from mental health difficulties.
Cooke said police were yet to establish a motivation for the attack.
“We know that the offender in the matter suffers from mental health … At this stage, it would appear that this is related to the mental health of the individual involved.
“We have received no evidence that we have recovered, no intelligence that we have gathered that would suggest that this was driven by any particular motivation, ideology or otherwise.”
Cauchi moved to Sydney from Queensland in March and rented a small storage unit.
Queensland Police Assistant Commissioner Roger Lowe said Cauchi had been diagnosed with mental illness at 17 and, based on its investigations, his condition had declined in the last few years.
“The man has never been arrested by police in Queensland nor has he been charged with any criminal offence,” Lowe said.
“He has been in contact with the police primarily in the last four to five years —would be the most contact we’ve had with them.”
Cauchi had no record of being subject to a domestic violence order, despite most of his victims being women. Queensland police had no contact with Cauchi since December, when he was street-checked on the Gold Coast.
Lowe said Cauchi’s family reached out to authorities after believing they had seen their son in television footage on Saturday.
“Our understanding from speaking to the family (is) he has been an itinerant,” Lowe said.
CCTV footage taken in the hours before the attack showed Cauchi, wearing a black backpack, ordering a meal from a Vietnamese restaurant on Oxford Street.
Cauchi had previously set up an online escort profile, which did not feature any explicit images, that described himself as an “athletic good looking 39-year-old guy”.
His now-deleted Facebook profile stated he grew up in Toowoomba and studied at Harristown State High School and the University of Southern Queensland.
In a post from his account to a Facebook group in December 2020, Cauchi was looking to meet up with “groups of people who shoot guns, including handguns”.
“Please send me a DM (direct message) if you can help me out! I live in Brisbane by the way,” he wrote.
Cauchi’s social media profile indicated he worked as an online English tutor and he notified another Facebook group of plans to go surfing at Bondi six days before the attack.
Paramedics treated patients at the scene, and police declared it a critical incident. Source: AAP / Steve Markham
In a statement on Sunday, the Cauchi family said they were “absolutely devastated” by the attack.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the victims and those still undergoing treatment at this time,” they said in a statement on Sunday.
“Joel’s actions were truly horrific, and we are still trying to comprehend what has happened. He has battled with mental health issues since he was a teenager.
“We are in contact with both the New South Wales Police Force and Queensland Police Service and have no issues with the Police Officer who shot our son as she was only doing her job to protect others and we hope she is coping alright.”
They had “no issue” with a police officer shooting their son, saying she was only doing her job to protect others and hoped she was coping.
What do we know about the victims of the stabbing attack?
Five female victims aged between 20 and 55 and a 30-year-old male security guard lost their lives in the attack, while several others were injured.
Five of the victims have been named at this stage, with two of those killed from overseas with no family in Australia, Cooke said.
One of the victims was 25-year-old Dawn Singleton, daughter of Australian businessman John Singleton, with tributes also appearing on social media for the young woman.
Architect Jade Young, who worked nearby in Double Bay, was also named as a victim by multiple media outlets on Sunday.
Jade Young was one of the six victims killed in the stabbing attack on Saturday. Source: AAP / Image
NSW Police has also named 55-year-old Pikria Darchia as a victim of the stabbing attacks.
Darchia was originally from Tbilisi in Georgia, and a LinkedIn profile suggests she was an artist. Her family has requested privacy.
Bondi Junction stabbing attack victim, 55-year-old Pikria Darchia. Source: AAP / Supplied Image
The male security guard was Faraz Tahir, who arrived in Australia in 2023 from Pakistan, where he was fleeing persecution, according to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Australia.
Faraz Tahir arrived in Australia in 2023 after feeling persecution in his home country of Pakistan. Source: Supplied
Another victim was local mother and begged them to help her before she lost consciousness, Sydney’s Daily Telegraph reported.
Thirty-eight-year-old Ashlee Good, who was fatally stabbed at Bondi Junction. Source: Supplied / PR IMAGE
Good later died of her injuries, while her daughter Harriet remained in a critical condition in the Intensive Care Unit at the Children’s Hospital in Randwick, NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said.
At least 12 others — including nine women — were hospitalised after suffering stab wounds in the attack, although some had been discharged by Sunday afternoon.
What do we know about the officer who killed the attacker?
Cauchi was shot dead by a lone female police officer at the scene who has been named as Amy Scott.
NSW Premier Chris Minns on Sunday paid tribute to Scott for her heroic acts.
Police officer Amy Scott prevented more carnage after she ran into a shopping centre and ended the rampage of a knife-wielding offender who killed six people. Source: AAP / PR IMAGE
“Insp Amy Scott … ran towards danger, showed professionalism and bravery and without a shadow of the doubt, saved many, many lives in the last 24 hours.”
“She’s with her family today, which is important. But this state owes her an enormous debt of gratitude,” Minns added.
Cooke added on Sunday that the police force was “proud” of Scott.
“Can I just say how proud we are of the actions of the officer involved last night and she is receiving all the support that she requires.”
What happens now?
Westfield Bondi Junction Shopping Centre will remain closed over the coming days as an active crime scene, Cooke added, with ongoing investigations to be lengthy and precise.
“This is a large crime scene. We need to [go through] each and every aspect of the crime scene, absolutely in minute detail, to make sure we get that right. We will do things as quickly as is absolutely practical but it will take some time.
“These are very difficult scenes. But … we will continue to make progress through it and continue the investigation.”
Flags across the country to be flown at half-mast
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has requested for the Australian flag to be flown at half-mast on all government buildings on Monday in honour of the six victims.
The government says it’s a sign of mourning and respect and that other organisations are welcome to participate.
“As a mark of mourning and respect and in accordance with protocol, the Australian National Flag should be flown at half-mast on Monday, 15 April 2024 from all buildings and establishments occupied by Australian Government departments and affiliated agencies,” the commonwealth flag officer said in a statement on Sunday.
Anyone who witnessed the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Readers seeking support with mental health can contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. More information is available at . supports people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
– With additional reporting from the Australian Associated Press.
admin
