Heroism among the horror at Bondi
The courage of those who faced a knife-wielding killer in a Sydney shopping centre has been praised by leaders as details emerge about him and his victims.
Joel Cauchi, 40, fatally stabbed six people and injured at least 12 more in a violent rampage at Westfield Bondi Junction on Saturday afternoon.
NSW Premier Chris Minns said many people ran “towards danger” including Inspector Amy Scott, who shot Cauci dead at the scene.
“To the ordinary members of the public that cornered and confronted a murderer in the Westfield shopping centre, showing what I would call instinctive bravery under terrible circumstances.
“And, of course, Inspector Amy Scott, who ran towards danger and showed professionalism and bravery and without a shadow of a doubt, saved many, many lives in the last 24 hours. We’re very, very grateful for the men and women that stood up in Bondi Junction.”
NSW Police commissioner Karen Webb echoed Minns’ sentiment and commended the state’s first responders for their efforts.
“My thoughts go out to those people that were in the shopping centre, and as the premier has said, showed a great deal of courage yesterday,” she said.
“But also to the emergency services and of course, the police officers who responded to this very traumatic thing.”
NSW Police assistant commissioner Anthony Cooke said the man was known to authorities in his home state.
“We have received no evidence that we have recovered, no intelligence that we have gathered that would suggest that this was driven by any particular motivation, ideology or otherwise,” he said yesterday.
“We know that the offender in the matter suffered from mental health.”
Six people, five women and one man, were killed in the attack and several others were injured. Four female victims aged between 20 and 55 and a man, aged in his 30s, died at the scene.
A fifth female victim, 38-year-old osteopath Ashlee Good, died at St Vincent’s hospital on Saturday night. Dr Good’s 9-month-old daughter was stabbed in the attack and is in a critical but stable condition at Sydney Children’s Hospital.
Also among those killed was Dawn Singleton, the 25-year-old daughter of multi-millionaire businessman John Singleton. The male victim was working as a security guard at the mall, NSW Police said.
Two of the six victims were from overseas and have no family in Australia, Cooke said. At least 12 others, including nine women, two men and Dr Good’s daughter, were hospitalised after suffering stab wounds.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Scott, who was lunged at by Cauci before he was shot, was “certainly a hero” who no doubt saved lives.
Albanese praised the officer involved along with others who came to the assistance of injured Sydneysiders.
“The wonderful inspector who ran into danger by herself and removed the threat that was there to others ... We also see the footage of ordinary Australians putting themselves in harm’s way in order to help their fellow citizens.”
Federal Opposition leader Peter Dutton said there was heroism amongst the horror. “We thank everyday Australians who helped each other get to safety and those who provided comfort to others.”
The shopping centre will be an active crime scene for days.