The man who killed six people in a Sydney shopping centre before he was shot dead by a police officer has been named.
Joel Cauchi, 40, launched the knife attack at the busy Westfield Shopping Centre in Bondi Junction on Saturday afternoon, armed with a long blade.
Five women and a man were killed, while several others, including a baby, were injured. The majority of the 12 injured were women. Police said it appeared the attacker may have targeted women.
“It’s obvious to me, it’s obvious to detectives that seems to be an area of interest that the offender focused on women and avoided the men,” New South Wales state Police Commissioner Karen Webb told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
“The videos speak for themselves, don’t they? That’s certainly a line for inquiry for us,” she said.
Detectives said they were not treating the incident as terrorism-related, stressing they believed there was “no ideological motivation”.
Cauchi, who was originally from Queensland, was reported to have suffered serious mental health issues. Police did not provide any further information.
Police said they had spoken to his family and were also in the process of notifying the victims’ families, two of whom appeared to have no relatives in Australia.
On Monday, the final victim of the stabbing attack was named as Chinese student Yixuan Cheng.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: “She was a Chinese national studying here who’s lost her life, along with Ashlee Good, Dawn Singleton, Jade Young, Pikria Darchia and the security guard (Faraz Tahir) who lost his life, a refugee who’d only been here for a short period of time.”
Amid the attack, Cauchi was shot dead by police inspector Amy Scott. The officer has been praised by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for her bravery.
Speaking at a press conference, New South Wales assistant police commissioner Anthony Cooke told reporters: “We are continuing to work through the profiling of the offender but very clearly to us at this stage it would appear that this is related to the mental health of the individual involved.”
The attacker was previously known to police but had never been arrested or charged in his home state of Queensland. He had also lived itinerantly for several years, officers said, having no permanent address.
Police have raided a small storage unit in Sydney owned by Cauchi but their findings have not shed any light on his motivation.
Among the victims was Ashlee Good, 38, who had been trying to save her nine-month-old baby from the knifeman when she was attacked. Police said she died in hospital and the infant had undergone surgery.
Her family said in a statement, published by national broadcaster ABC: “Today we are reeling from the terrible loss of Ashlee, a beautiful mother, daughter, sister, partner, friend, all-round outstanding human, and so much more.
“We appreciate the well wishes and thoughts of members of the Australian public who have expressed an outpouring of love for Ashlee and our baby girl.
“We can report that after hours of surgery yesterday, our baby is currently doing well. We are so grateful for the expert care and attention of the medical team at Sydney Children’s Hospital.”
Another victim has been named as Dawn Singleton, the daughter of well-known Australian businessman John Singleton, 82.
Ms Singleton, 25, is one of the advertising entrepreneur’s eight children. She had recently studied at the University of Technology Sydney, according to her LinkedIn profile, and had been working at retailer White Fox Boutique.
In an Instagram post in tribute to Ms Singleton, the store said: “Over the weekend we lost not only an employee of White Fox but someone special to us who felt like a family member.
“We are all truly devastated by this loss. Dawn was a sweet, kind hearted person who had her whole life ahead of her. She was really amazing.
“We send our love & deepest condolences to her partner, the Singleton family & her friends. She will always be remembered as part of the White Fox family.”
Police said a security guard for the shopping centre in his 30s was killed in the attack.
The victim was identified as Faraz Tahir by the Australian Pakistani National Association. It described him as “courageous”, adding: “Let us stand together in solidarity, offering support and prayers to those grieving and affected by this heartbreaking loss.”
In a statement, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community said he was “a dedicated security guard who tragically lost his life while serving the public during this attack”.
The fourth victim was named as Jade Young, 47, a local Sydney architect, while the fifth was Pikria Darchia, 55, who is understood to have been originally from Georgia.
Police said they are attempting to contact the families of all the victims.
