SYDNEY: Australian police are investigating the motives behind a 40-year-old man with mental illness who appeared to target mostly women during a knife rampage at a Sydney shopping mall on Saturday afternoon, according to an AFP report.
The attack resulted in the deaths of six people and injuries to a dozen more.
Social media videos showed the suspect, identified as Joel Cauchi, pursuing predominantly female victims throughout the crowded Westfield shopping complex in Bondi Junction.Five of the six victims killed and most of those wounded were women, prompting police to focus on the attacker’s apparent targeting of women.
The last of Cauchi’s six victims was identified as Yixuan Cheng, a young Chinese student. Other victims included a designer, a volunteer surf lifesaver, the daughter of an entrepreneur, and a new mother named Ashlee Good, whose wounded nine-month-old baby is in stable condition at a Sydney hospital. The only man killed was Faraz Tahir, a 30-year-old Pakistani security guard.
Cauchi’s assault lasted about half an hour before being brought to an end by solo police inspector Amy Scott, who shot him dead. Scott, hailed as a hero, is spending time with her family to cope with the “very traumatic matter.” Cauchi’s parents offered their thoughts for the victims, describing their son’s actions as “truly horrific” and revealing his long-standing battle with mental health issues since his teenage years.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed concern over the gender breakdown of the victims and promised a comprehensive police investigation. Cauchi is believed to have travelled to Sydney about a month ago, living in a vehicle and hostels while maintaining sporadic contact with his family via text messages.