Sydney mall knife attacker had mental health issues, say police
The Australian Police have identified the assailant who stabbed six people to death at the Westfield Shopping Centre in Sydney before being shot dead by a police officer on Saturday. Following the attack, police said they were looking into the motive behind the attack and that they had ruled out the possibility of terrorism. On Sunday, police revealed that the attacker, 40-year-old Joel Cauchi, had mental health issues, and there was no evidence ideology was a motive in the attack.
Attacker known to police
According to New South Wales Police Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke, the attacker was known to police in the neighboring state of Queensland. "We are continuing to work through the profiling of the offender but...at this stage it would appear that this is related to the mental health of the individual involved," Cooke said. Witnesses described Cauchi, dressed in shorts and an Australian rugby league jersey, running through the Westfield Bondi Junction mall with a knife, randomly stabbing individuals.
Details of the violent episode emerge
The violent episode began around 3:10pm at the Westfield Shopping Centre, one of Australia's most frequented shopping destinations. Shoppers and employees at the mall attempted to stop him as crowds sought refuge in locked shops. Six people—five women and one man, aged between 20 and 55—were killed, and 12 others were injured, including a nine-month-old child whose mother died during the attack. Two of the victims were from overseas and had no family in Australia.
Heroic police officer ends stabbing spree
The random attack spree came to an end after a lone female police officer on-site shot and killed the assailant, Cauchi. Her actions were praised by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who called her "certainly a hero" for preventing further loss of life. NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb also lauded the officer's courage and bravery during the terrifying incident at the Westfield Shopping Centre.
Snippets from mall attack
Such attacks are rare in Australia
Such attacks are rare in Australia, which has some of the world's strictest gun and knife laws. In April 1996, a gunman, Martin Bryant, murdered 35 individuals at a former prison colony and tourist attraction in Tasmania using semi-automatic weapons. This mass shooting became known as the Port Arthur massacre, and it marked a watershed moment for Australia. The event sparked widespread outrage and led to Australia enacting some of the world's strictest firearm laws.
