- Tiffany Turnbull, Jay Savage, Simon Atkinson, Emily Atkinson
- in Sydney and London
image source, Rohan Anderson
A knife-wielding man is seen targeting women at a Sydney shopping centre.
Joel Kouchi, 40, terrorized the crowded Westfield Bondi Junction complex on Saturday.
Among the 6 dead, 5 are women. Many people including a small child have been injured in this.
The New South Wales police commissioner told Australia’s ABC News that Gauchi’s focus on women was “clear”.
The only person killed in the attack was Faraz Tahir (30), who tried to mediate. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told Triple M radio on Monday that he was a refugee from Pakistan who had only been in Australia “for a short period of time”.
“The videos speak for themselves, don’t they?” Commissioner Karen Webb said.
“It is clear to me, the detectives know… that the perpetrator focused on women and avoided men.
“We don’t know what’s going through a criminal’s mind, so it’s important now that detectives spend more time interviewing people who knew him.”
Albanese told ABC News that “the gender divide is obviously involved.”
4 people who were injured in the riots were discharged from the hospital. Eight other people are undergoing treatment and are in stable condition, according to local media.
Authorities said the attack on Gauchi, who was shot by a police officer on Saturday, may have been a “psychiatric-related” attack.
He was already known to police but had not been arrested or charged in his home state of Queensland. Queensland police said he lived as a drifter for years and was diagnosed with mental illness at the age of 17.
The attack on one of the country’s largest and most popular shopping centers shocked Australia, where mass killings are rare.
“This is a devastating day for New South Wales,” state premier Chris Minns said in a speech. Minns announced A$18 million ($11.6 million; £9.3 million) to investigate the police response and the killer’s previous ties to government agencies.
During an interview with ABC News, he also hinted at the possibility of building a permanent memorial in Bondi to honor the six people who lost their lives.
Flags were flown at half-mast across the country on Monday and sails at the Sydney Opera House will pay tribute to the victims.
The crowd offered flowers and cards to those who lost their lives in the Bondali Junction attack.
Ashley Good, 38, was stabbed while trying to protect her nine-month-old daughter, who was also injured and underwent surgery. After hours of immediate surgery, his condition improved significantly, state officials said.
“Sometimes there are bright lights in the darkest moments and it takes our nation’s breath away. (for),” Health Minister Ryan Park said Monday.
Architects Jade Young, 47, and Picrea Torchia, 55, also died, while Don Singleton, 25, was identified by local media.
In a social media post, Singleton’s boss remembered her as “a sweet, kind person who had her whole life ahead of her.”
Albanese confirmed that the latest victim was Cheng Yixuan – a Chinese student studying in Australia. His family has been informed and they are currently on their way to Australia, ABC News reported.
