Sydney shopping mall attack: ‘Obvious’ he targeted women – police
Joel Cauchi, 40 – the man who went on a stabbing attack in a Sydney shopping mall appears to have targeted women, police say.
Cauchi attacked people at the busy Westfield Bondi Junction complex on Saturday. He stabbed and killed six people – five women and 1 man, with a long blade.
He stabbed several others including a baby girl – whose mother was one of the victims.
Now police say it was “obvious” Cauchi focused on women.
The only man killed in the attack was security guard Faraz Tahir, 30 who was attacked when he tried to intervene.
The other victims were Jade Young, 47; Pikria Darchia, 55; Dawn Singleton, 25; Ashlee Good, 38; and Cheng Yixuan, who is believed to be in her 20s.
“The videos speak for themselves, don’t they?” commissioner Karen Webb said.
“It’s obvious to me, it’s obvious to detectives… that the offender focused on women and avoided the men.
“We don’t know what was operating in the mind of the offender and that’s why it’s important now that detectives spend so much time interviewing those who know him.”
Cops ruled out terrorism and said the attack was most likely related to mental health.
He was shot dead by a lone female officer.
Australia shopping mall attack – video
A video from the attack was posted online, showing a brave man trying to stop the attacker.
📹📸 A knife attack took place in a shopping mall in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood in Sydney, Australia.
— Mete Sohtaoğlu (@metesohtaoglu) April 13, 2024
It is reported that there are dead and injured people.
A civilian was seen intervening against an attacker.
📹 @AnnoymousGiraf pic.twitter.com/Hojc8Jj5ec
Joel Cauchi Australia – ‘To you he is a monster’
His father, Andrew Cauchi, told reporters his son had battled with mental illnesses and recently came off his medication.
“To you he is a monster. To me, he was a very sick boy,” he said, in a video posted by The Australian newspaper.
“He wanted a girlfriend and he’s got no social skills and he was frustrated out of his brain,” he added, when asked about why his son may have targeted women.
