Joel Cauchi, a 40-year-old knifeman, killed six people and gravely injured twelve more as he prowled around the crowded shopping center.
Six people were stabbed to death at a Sydney shopping center by a 40-year-old itinerant with mental illness, according to Australian police. Among the victims was a new mother whose nine-month-old child is still in the hospital with serious injuries.
Joel Cauchi, a resident of Queensland, was the attacker who was shot and killed on Saturday at the scene by a senior police officer, according to Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke of the New South Wales police.
Using a huge knife, Cauchi ran through a crowded shopping center in the city’s Bondi Junction neighborhood, killing five ladies and one male security guard. There are still twelve patients in the hospital.
Witness Daphi Kiselstein observed the attack firsthand. She was shopping at the time and sought safety in a store with other horrified victims. “The sound of people screaming was horrific,” she added.
There was no proof, according to Cooke, that Cauchi was “driven by any particular motivation, ideology or otherwise.”
“We know that the offender in the matter suffered from, suffers from, mental health,” he stated.
The prime minister of Australia immediately praised single senior police officer Amy Scott for tracking down and killing Cauchi, calling her a “hero” who had saved many lives.
Cauchi’s parents stated that their son was only occasionally in contact via text messages and had recently been living in a car and hostels.
He was given a mental health diagnosis at the age of 17, according to the police, but they did not provide any explanation for why he might have turned aggressive.
Through the police, his parents sent a statement expressing their sympathies to the relatives of their son’s victims.
A note of “support” had also been given to the officer who killed him, “expressing their concerns for her welfare.”
According to Queensland police, Cauchi has interacted with the authorities multiple times in the previous four to five years, but he has never been taken into custody or faced any charges.
It is thought that he visited Sydney approximately a month ago and rented a modest storage space there. Among the personal items inside was a boogie board.
Outstanding People
The incident has shocked, outraged, and saddened Sydney citizens, who are not used to violent crime.
Located in the center of a popular suburb close to the seaside, the shopping center is constantly bustling with people going shopping, dining out, or to the movies.
Mother Ashlee Good, 38, was one of the victims. She died from her wounds after frantically handing her infant to two strangers in the hopes that they would be able to save it.
Good’s family described her as “a beautiful mother, daughter, sister, partner, friend, all round outstanding human and so much more”.
“To the two men who held and cared for our baby when Ashlee could not –– words cannot express our gratitude”, they said in a statement to Australian media.
The baby, named Harriet, was said to be recovering well after lengthy surgery.
Two of the victims are said to have no family in Australia and attempts are being made to contact relatives overseas.
Incomprehensible
According to a Facebook profile, Cauchi attended a local university and secondary school and was originally from Toowoomba, which is close to Brisbane.
His right arm bore a unique dragon tattoo in shades of grey, red, and yellow that served as a means of identification.
Australians, according to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, are finding it difficult to comprehend an incident that is “unspeakable” and “really just beyond comprehension”.
“People shouldn’t be in danger when they go shopping on a Saturday afternoon. However, regrettably, a life was lost, and today many will be weeping for loved ones,” he stated.
“We also know there are many people still in hospital dealing with recovery, and our thoughts and prayers are with them.”
SOURCE: TRTWORLD
