- Written by Tiffany Turnbull, Guy Savage, Simon Atkinson, and Emily Atkinson
- In Sydney and London
Image source, Rohan Anderson
A man who carried out a stabbing rampage at a Sydney shopping center appears to have targeted women, police said.
Joel Cauchi, 40, caused panic in the busy Westfield Bondi Junction complex on Saturday when he began stabbing people with a long blade.
Five of the six people who died were women. A number of others were injured, including a child.
The New South Wales Police Commissioner told Australia's ABC News it was “clear” Cauchi was focusing on women.
The only man killed in the attack was security guard Faraz Tahir, 30, who tried to intervene. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told Triple M Radio on Monday that he was a refugee from Pakistan and had only been in Australia for a “short period”.
“The videos speak for themselves, don't they?” Commissioner Karen Webb said.
“It is clear to me, and it is clear to investigators… that the perpetrator focused on women and avoided men.
“We don’t know what was going through the perpetrator’s mind, which is why it is now important that investigators spend a lot of time interviewing those who knew him.”
Albanese also told ABC News that “the gender divide is of course troubling.”
Four people injured during the rampage have since been released from hospital. Eight others are still receiving care in conditions ranging from serious to stable, according to local media.
Authorities previously said the attack was likely “mental health related” to Mr. Kauchi, who was shot dead by a police officer on Saturday.
He was already known to police but was not arrested or charged in his home state of Queensland. Queensland Police said he lived itinerantly for several years and was first diagnosed with mental illness when he was 17 years old.
The attack, which occurred on one of the country's largest and most popular shopping malls, shocked Australia, where mass killings are rare.
“This is a devastating day for New South Wales,” state Premier Chris Means said in a speech. Means also announced an AU$18 million (US$11.6 million; £9.3 million) investigation into the police response, and the interactions the killer had previously had with government agencies.
He also mentioned the possibility of establishing a permanent memorial in Bondi to remember the six victims, during an interview with ABC News.
Flags across the country were flown at half-mast on Monday, and the sails of the Sydney Opera House will be lit in honor of the victims.
Crowds of mourners flocked to Bondi Junction, leaving flowers and cards for the victims of the attack.
Ashley Judd, 38, was stabbed while trying to protect her nine-month-old daughter, who was also injured and taken into surgery. Hours after emergency surgery, her condition improved significantly, state officials said.
“In the darkest of times, sometimes the brightest lights come, something our entire country has been holding its breath [for]Health Minister Ryan Park said Monday.
Police also identified architect Jed Young, 47, and Becrea D'Arcia, 55, as victims, while local media identified Dawn Singleton, 25.
In a social media post, her employer described her as a “kind, kind-hearted person who had her whole life ahead of her.”
Albanese confirmed that Cheng Yichuan, a Chinese student who was studying in Australia, was the latest victim. ABC News reported that her family members have been informed and are currently on their way to Australia.
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