In an unprecedented turn of events, a man attacked six people with a knife in one of Australia’s shopping malls. The busy mall is located in Bondi, a beach suburb in Sydney.
This tragic event left five women and one man dead, and several other women sustained injuries. The attacker seemed to have targeted women. However, one security guard lost his life while trying to prevent the attack.
The Bondi Suburb Victims
The heartbreaking incident happened on Saturday, April 13th, as people enjoyed their weekend and went about shopping at the Bondi Junction Mall.
The five women who died include a designer, an architect, a new mother, a Chinese student, and an entrepreneur. The security guard who tried to stop the attacker was a 30-year-old Pakistani known as Faraz Tahir.
The number of the injured went as high as 12 – 11 women and a baby. Fortunately, the 9-month-old infant is reported to be doing well.
40-year-old Joel Cauchi Said to Suffer Mental Illness
Police have identified the suspect in the tragic mall shooting as Joel Cauchi, a 40-year-old man from Queensland.
According to the Australian police, Cauchi had no past criminal record but had mental health issues. Still, the details and motives behind the killing remain unknown. This means investigations are still ongoing.
The suspect’s father, Andrew Cauchi, has collaborated the police statement, indicating that his son has had a mental illness since his teenage.
The senior Cauchi cited his son’s frustration owing to his inability to find a girlfriend. This can explain why the suspect only targeted women. Nevertheless, the proper details will be revealed through the continuing police investigation.
Amy Scott, the New South Wales Policewoman Who Contained the Deadly Situation
A senior Inspector of Police, Amy Scott, was the first one to reach the crime scene, and she engaged with the criminal single-handedly. She prevented further casualties when she shot the culprit dead. The Sydney authorities and the public have praised the officer for saving many lives.
Karen Webb, the Police Commissioner of New South Wales, has also told the media that the suspect seemed to have women as his target. Therefore, she said, the police are going to explore that line of investigation as well.
On a different note, the premier for New South Wales has disclosed the allocation of 18 million Australian Dollars for an independent inquiry. The probe, which should be held publicly, is meant to investigate how the local state agencies and health institutions handled the mentally ill Cauchi over the years.
Mass shootings have become rare in Australia since the government made it difficult for people to acquire guns. Strict controls were put in place after a man shot dead 35 individuals at once in 1996. The horrific incident took place at Port Arthur.