Horrifying moment shoppers take refuge in a Myer as knifeman Joel Cauchi carries out deadly attack at Westfield Bondi Junction

Terrifying footage captured the moment dozens of customers were locked inside a Myer as a knifeman carried out a stabbing attack at Westfield Bondi Junction.

A group of shoppers were filmed in the back room after the mall was shuttered at 3.20pm on Saturday.

Joel Cauchi, 40, continued his attack, which would ultimately kill six people and injure many more.

Mother Ashlee Good, 38, was among the victims who died while her nine-month-old daughter Harriet was left in a serious but stable condition.

Cauchi was then confronted and shot by NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott.

Joel Cauchi, 40, continued to carry out his attack that would ultimately take the lives of six people and injure many more.

Bondi Rescue lifeguard Andrew Reid told the story ABC news he was in Myer trying to buy a bed when a worker told him everyone had to evacuate.

‘[He said] People are being stabbed outside. And we left, but they dropped the shutters, probably to protect us,” he said.

“We all walked up and looked up to see what was going on and we heard the two gunshots right around the corner.”

At that moment, the lifeguard looked back and saw an injured woman on level four and asked to leave the store.

He put himself in danger and provided aid to the stabbing victims.

Elsewhere in the mall, other stores and store employees locked themselves and customers inside to stay safe.

NSW Police identified Cauchi as the knifeman on Sunday and said they were treating the horrific attack as a mental health incident.

Cauchi, who is from the Brisbane area and is believed to have schizophrenia, moved to Sydney from Queensland a month ago.

There is no indication that Cauchi was part of any particular ideology.

Police are currently searching a “very small storage facility” in Sydney that Cauchi rented out shortly after the move.

He reportedly slept poorly and had no fixed address.

Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke said detectives have spoken to his family who have assisted police with their investigation.

Shoppers huddled in the staff room hallway, looking at their phones in confusion and concern

Security shutters at Myer were closed and customers locked up to protect shoppers and staff from the attacker. Many did not know what was happening and looked out of the screens

“There is still no information that we have received, no evidence that we have recovered, no information that we have gathered that would indicate that this was driven by any particular motivation – ideology or otherwise,” said Deputy Commissioner Cooke to reporters. Sunday.

‘We continue to work on profiling the perpetrator, but it seems very clear to us at this stage that this is linked to the mental health of the individual involved.’

According to his social media profiles, Cauchi grew up in Toowoomba and claimed he worked as an English teacher.

A surfing enthusiast, he posted to a Facebook group in Sydney last week asking if anyone wanted to meet him for a surf in Bondi.

In a shared accommodation search profile, Cauchi said he was looking for a place to live in Sydney’s western suburbs in ‘Liverpool, Blacktown, Pendle Hill or Parramatta’.

‘I love meeting new people and seeing new interesting places!’ he wrote about himself.