How the Westfield Bondi Junction attack unfolded: Terrifying timeline of Joel Cauchi’s sickening attack that left six innocent shoppers dead
Terrifying details have emerged about the day Joel Cauchi killed six people in a horrific stabbing at Westfield Bondi Junction.
Cauchi, 40, stabbed five women and one man to death and injured 12 others with a 30cm hunting knife in Sydney’s eastern suburbs at 3.20pm on Saturday.
He was then shot dead by NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott, who has been hailed as a hero for ending the killing spree and providing CPR to the victims.
Authorities are trying to determine the motive behind the massacre that sent shockwaves across the country.
Below is a timeline of how the attack unfolded before Cauchi was fatally shot and his horrific stabbing ended.
Terrifying details have emerged about the day Joel Cauchi killed six people in a murderous stabbing at Westfield Bondi Junction Shopping Center
Seven people are now dead, including the attacker himself, after what has become Australia’s deadliest attack since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre.
Before the attack
Cauchi ordered a red chicken curry at Saigon Noodle – just a stone’s throw from the mall – at 10am.
He opened his wallet but did not pay and told the employee serving him that he would come back before leaving the restaurant.
The lone knife man returned at 12:21, ordered the same chicken curry, and… spent 15 minutes eating his last meal.
He traveled to the southern suburbs, where he visited a small storage facility he had rented.
From there he is said to have caught a train back to Bondi Junction station.
Yixuan Cheng, Ashlee Good, Pikria Darchia, Jade Young, Dawn Singleton and Faraz Tahir (photo)
Cauchi was seen ordering a red chicken curry from Saigon Noodle – just a stone’s throw away from the mall – at 10am
The attack
At 3:10 p.m., Cauchi walked into the Westfield but then left, returning 20 minutes later wearing a Kangaroos jersey and carrying a dark backpack.
Cauchi then began his stabbing spree at Level 4.
He took a 12-inch knife from his bag and stabbed his first victims outside the Sourdough Bakery.
Cauchi stabbed mum Ashlee Good, 38, to death while injuring her nine-month-old baby girl outside Cotton On.
The dying mother threw her injured baby into the arms of two strangers and selflessly begged them to help the child.
Cauchi killed Dawn Singleton, 25, near Chanel. Mrs. Singleton was the daughter of millionaire businessman John Singleton.
She was engaged to her high school sweetheart Ashley Wildey and was shopping for makeup.
Cauchi then went to Level 3 before attempting to return to Level 4.
Damien Guerot picked up a retractable railing and confronted 40-year-old killer Joel Cauchi as he walked menacingly up an escalator (pictured)
Ryan Bramble (centre) was shopping at Zara with a friend on Saturday when they heard the blood-curdling screams of women as Joel Cauchi, 40, began his attack
He tried to ascend the floor via an escalator, but was stopped by Frenchman Damien Guerot.
Guerot was at the gym with his compatriot Silas Despreaux when they were caught in the middle of the attack.
Mr. Guerot picked up a retractable gate with footage that captured the act and earned Mr. Guerot the nickname “Bollard Man.”
Cauchi managed to find another way up the mall and reached Level 5.
Terrifying footage showed a customer tripping over his feet as he tried to get away, while a husband confronted the knifeman in a bid to protect his family.
Four other shoppers are said to have lost their lives: architect Jade Young, 47, security guard Faraz Tahir, 30, Pikria Darchia, 55, and Chinese national Yixuan Cheng, 27.
It is understood parents rushed children into clothing stores, pulling down the shutters to provide some security.
Moments later, Inspector Amy Scott arrived and ran towards Cauchi, shouting at him to ‘drop the knife’.
Ryan Bramble and a group of shoppers armed themselves with chairs and bollards before following the police officer to support her.
Cauchi charged at Inspector Scott and raised his knife before he was shot dead.
Inspector Scott attempted CPR but the 40-year-old knifeman died at the scene.
Emergency services were able to wheel the bodies of the victims and their killer out of the mall in maroon bags on Sunday morning
Inspector Amy Scott shot Cauchi dead after he lunged at her with a knife and he died at the scene
After the attack
Emergency services were able to wheel the bodies of the victims and their killer out of the mall in maroon bags on Sunday morning.
NSW Police confirmed Cauchi was known to police and suffered from schizophrenia.
There is no indication that Cauchi was part of any particular ideology, with police treating the tragedy as a mental health-related incident.
Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke said Ms Scott arrived at the scene alone as the attack took place before the rest of the troops arrived.
“She confronted the perpetrator who had gone to level five at this stage. As she continued to walk quickly behind him trying to catch up with him,” Commissioner Cooke said.
‘He turned around, looked at her and raised a knife. She discharged a firearm and that person is now deceased.”
Mr Cooke then said it was clear Cauchi wanted to hurt as many people as possible.
“When he moved downtown he had contact with about nine people, and it’s clear that during that fight he harmed those people, in our opinion by stabbing them with a weapon he had on him,” said he.
Mr Cooke then said it was clear the Cauchi (pictured) wanted to hurt as many people as possible