Police believe killer Joel Cauchi ‘targeted women’ after fatally stabbing six people in a horror rampage at Bondi Junction Westfield.
Cauchi, 40, killed six innocent people and left others seriously injured after entering the mall around 3:20 pm on Saturday with a 30cm knife.
The attack ended when NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott, who was patrolling the area, sprinted into the Westfield and single-handedly confronted Cauchi before shooting him dead.
His victims included five women and one man:
- Ashlee Good, a mother whose nine-month-old daughter was also stabbed.
- Dawn Singleton, the daughter of multi-millionaire advertising guru John Singleton.
- Mother of two and architect Jade Young. Her baby was also stabbed and is recovering at Sydney Children’s Hospital.
- Bondi Junction woman Pikria Darchia
- Westfield guard and fugitive Faraz Tahi
The 40-year-old’s motives have yet to be confirmed, but a police source claims investigators believe Cauchi “certainly targeted women.”
The source explained that police reviewed extensive footage of Cauchi’s movements through the mall and saw how he selected his victims.
“I don’t think there’s any other way to look at it,” the source told the Daily Telegraph.
‘You can see in the images that he walks past other people. He just keeps walking past it and then attacks a woman.”
Police Commissioner Karen Webb confirmed Sunday that Cauchi’s motive for targeting a woman was an “obvious line of inquiry.”
Cauchi was known to the police and had lived sporadically in Sydney in recent years.
Cauchi was diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of 17, and it is understood that he had a history of being obsessed with knives.
When he lived with his parents in Toowoomba, south-east Queensland, they were so concerned about his fixation that they took away his knives.
His parents, Andrew and Michele, both in their 70s, refused to speak to the media after describing their son’s stabbing as ‘truly horrific’.
The devastated couple recognized their son from images on TV and frantically called the police.
The Cauchis said in their statement on Sunday that they have “no issues” with Inspector Scott’s actions or those of the NSW Police.
“We are absolutely devastated by the traumatic events that occurred in Sydney yesterday,” they said.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the victims and those currently receiving treatment.
“Joel’s actions were truly horrific, and we are still trying to understand what happened.
‘He has been struggling with psychological problems since he was a teenager.
‘We are in contact with both the New South Wales Police and Queensland Police and have no issues with the police officer who shot our son as she was only doing her job to protect others and we hope she is doing well. ‘
The Cauchis have lived in the Toowoomba suburb of Rockville for 46 years and last saw their son a few months ago when the 40-year-old went home for Christmas.
Police are currently searching a “very small storage facility” in Sydney that Cauchi rented out shortly after moving from Brisbane to Sydney.
He reportedly slept poorly and had no fixed address.
Just six days before the attack, Cauchi invited Sydneysiders to join him surfing at Bondi Beach in a post shared on a Facebook group for aspiring surfers.
Cauchi wrote: ‘Hi, I’m surfing in Bondi this afternoon if anyone wants to meet up there to surf!’
In another post, shared in December 2020 to an outdoor adventure Facebook group for Brisbane residents, Cauchi explained he wanted to meet people who shoot guns.
‘Hi, I’m looking for groups of people who shoot guns, including pistols, to meet up with, chat and get to know each other. Feel free to send me a DM if you can help me! I live in Brisbane by the way,” Cauchi wrote.
Social media users noticed the alarming post hours after Cauchi was identified by police.
“Thank God you didn’t get your hands on a weapon… the destruction you caused is terrible enough,” one person wrote.