Family defends killer’s ‘cry for help’

THE family of the Bourke St attacker say he’s not a terrorist, rather a man who was “crying for help”.

A steady stream of family and friends visited the family home of Hassan Khalif Shire Ali yesterday.

His family yesterday said Ali had been suffering from a mental illness for years but had been deteriorating in recent months.

“He has seen a psychologist and psychiatrist but stopped as his paranoid and hallucinations led him to believe they’re ‘after him’,” they said in a letter to Nine News. “Please stop turning this into a political game. This isn’t a guy who has any connections with terrorism but was simply crying for help.”

Other friends and family of Ali said mental health issues drove him to carry out the Bourke St killing.

One said he had been trying to seek help, especially to cope with his substance abuse.

Other friends said he had been in contact with family, including his wife and two- year-old boy before the incident. Family friend, Sheikh Isse Musse, said the family was trying to comprehend the consequences of Ali’s actions.

“The family is now trying to grieve after what has been a terrible few days,” he said.

He said the family was distraught and that Ali was “mentally unfit”.

The family is yet to set a funeral date and have not been in contact with police since raids were conducted on the home Saturday morning.