Sydney Shopping Mall Attack: Mentally Ill Man Kills Six Women, One Man; Police Investigate Motive
A 40-year-old man with mental illness, identified as Joel Cauchi, targeted women with a large knife at a Sydney shopping mall, Westfield in Bondi Junction, killing six people, five of whom were women, and injuring a dozen others.
Police are investigating why the attacker focused on women and are examining videos of the incident as a potential line of inquiry.
The commissioner of New South Wales police, Karen Webb, emphasized that they cannot determine the attacker's motives.
A series of six women, including a young Chinese student named Yixuan Cheng, have been identified as victims of a man with a distinctive dragon tattoo on his right arm.
The latest victim was found dead, leaving behind a wounded nine-month-old baby.
The mother, Ashlee Good, handed her baby to strangers before succumbing to her injuries.
The other victims were a designer, a volunteer surf lifesaver, the daughter of an entrepreneur, and a new mother.
Detectives are currently interviewing people who knew the suspect to gather more information.
The victims have been described as outstanding members of their communities.
A statement was released expressing gratitude to two men who helped care for a baby during a violent incident in Australia.
The only fatality was a 30-year-old Pakistani security guard, Faraz Tahir, who was stabbed during the assault.
The assault, which lasted about 30 minutes, was ended when police inspector Amy Scott shot and killed the perpetrator, identified as Cauchi.
Scott, who has been hailed as a hero, is taking time with her family to deal with the traumatic event.
Cauchi's parents offered their condolences to the victims and acknowledged their son's actions were "truly horrific." They also expressed their thoughts to inspector Scott.
Cauchi had a history of mental health issues since his teenage years.
The Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, expressed condolences for the victims of a recent tragedy and spoke with their families.
The gender breakdown of the victims is concerning, and a thorough police investigation is promised.
The suspect, Cauchi, is believed to have traveled to Sydney a month ago and rented a storage unit containing personal belongings.
He had been living in a vehicle and hostels, and his contact with family was limited to text messages.