A man who carried out a deadly stabbing rampage at a Westfield shopping centre in Bondi Junction in Sydney’s east yesterday afternoon has been identified as a 40-year-old from Queensland.
Joel Cauchi has been named as the knife-wielding man who killed six people and injured at least a dozen more in the attack.
The victims included 38-year-old woman Ash Good, the mother of a nine-month-old baby girl who was also wounded in the attack.
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb confirmed four women and one man died at the scene, in addition to the attacker. Good died later in hospital.
Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke said this morning Cauchi was thought to have moved from Queensland to New South Wales last month.
Cooke said police had spoken to his family and they were cooperating with investigators.’
“We know that shortly after coming to Sydney, he took possession of a storage facility that has been identified and we have worked through that very small storage facility,” he said.
He said while the reason for the attack was not confirmed, police expected it was related to the killer’s mental health.
The attacker was shot dead by a lone police officer, Inspector Amy Scott, who entered the shopping centre after reports of the stabbings.
Footage captured her, along with several bystanders, pursuing the knife-wielding man before a final confrontation.
“She was just on general duties, just in around the precinct, got the call and went to the scene immediately, and was confronted by the perpetrator,” NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley told Today.
“He dived at her and she shot him.”
Catley said she had thanked the “humble” officer on behalf of the people of NSW for preventing further deaths and injuries.
“She said, ‘It wasn’t just about me, minister’,” Catley said.
“She said the people, the bystanders around really helped as well.”
Catley confirmed that Queensland Police were helping the investigation.
