An Australian man, identified as Joel Cauchi, went on a deadly stabbing spree at a busy Sydney shopping mall, leaving six people dead and more than a dozen injured. The incident took place at the Westfield Bondi Junction mall near Bondi Beach. Police have confirmed that Cauchi, who had a history of mental illness, was the assailant and ruled out terrorism as a motive.
The killer's father, Andrew Cauchi, revealed that his son suffered from schizophrenia and attributed the attack on women to his frustration at not having a girlfriend. Andrew Cauchi mentioned that his son lacked social skills and was deeply frustrated. The police are investigating why Joel Cauchi specifically targeted women while mostly avoiding men.
New South Wales State Police Commissioner Karen Webb stated that detectives plan to question Cauchi's family as part of the ongoing investigation. CCTV footage from the mall clearly showed Cauchi targeting women, with most of the deceased and injured victims being women.
One male victim, Faraz Tahir, a 30-year-old security guard and Pakistani refugee, was among the deceased. The other victims were identified as Yixuan Cheng, Jade Young, Dawn Singleton, Pikria Darchia, and Ashlee Good. Eight survivors, including Good's 9-month-old daughter, remained hospitalized on Monday.
Andrew Cauchi shared that his son had a fascination with knives and had taken military-grade knives from him out of concern for potential violence. The father, fearing for his safety, had the knives safeguarded by a friend after his son's angry reaction. Joel Cauchi was shot and killed by police in response to the knife attack.
Andrew Cauchi expressed deep sorrow over his son's actions, describing him as a 'very sick boy.' The tragic incident has left the community in shock, and authorities are working to understand the motives behind the attack and provide support to the victims and their families.
