Sydney, Australia
Reuters
Young Sydney mother Ashlee Good, who cradled her nine-month old daughter Harriet, was one of the victims of a random shopping mall stabbing attack which killed six people, her family confirmed in a statement on Sunday.
Five women and a male security guard were killed in the Saturday attack in the Sydney suburb of Bondi, police confirmed on Sunday, adding that 12 people remained in hospital.
A woman offers flowers for the victims of Saturday’s stabbings at Bondi Junction in Sydney, Australia, on 14th April, 2024. PICTURE: Reuters/Alasdair Pal
Good, 38, was among the dead. Police said her daughter was in a serious, but stable, condition in hospital.
“We are reeling from the terrible loss of Ashlee, a beautiful mother, daughter, sister, partner, friend an all round outstanding human and so much more,” the family said in the statement, which was reported by local media.
“We can report that after hours of surgery yesterday our baby is current doing well,” the family said.
Witnesses told local media Good had been seen cradling her daughter and had sought help from passers-by following the attack.
Good, an osteopath who described herself on LinkedIn as an “articulate and driven” professional, had posted last month about “what a privilege it is to become a parent”, alongside a photo of her with her daughter Harriet.
Another of the victims, Faraz Tahir, a 30-year-old security guard at the mall, arrived in the country last year as a refugee from Pakistan, according to a statement from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Australia, to which he belonged.
There was a heavy police presence on Sunday at the mall, which was closed to shoppers, with nearby streets cordoned off. A mound of floral tributes to the victims began to grow, with mourners arriving every few minutes.
“The individual stories of those who have been killed, the complete strangers rushing in to help as well as acts of courage and bravery mean that – whether you know the individuals who have been killed or not – you’re grieving today,” said New South Wales state Premier Chris Minns.
“The entire state will get behind those families in the days ahead as they recover and go through the inevitable grief of such a horrifying event.”
Several people lay flowers at the entrance of the shopping mall where the attack took place.
“It’s such a tragic and shocking event,” said John Tognolini, 65, who came from Katoomba, a town around 90 kilometres from Sydney, to lay flowers.
A view of a police car outside Westfield Bondi Junction as the mall remains under lockdown following Saturday’s stabbings in Sydney, Australia, on 14th April, 2024. PICTURE: Reuters/Alasdair Pal
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Sunday he had received condolence messages from around the world, and in the Vatican, a top cardinal said Pope Francis was “deeply saddened to learn of the violent attack in Sydney”.
“He sends the assurance of his spiritual closeness to all affected by this senseless tragedy, especially those who are now mourning the loss of a loved one,” the Vatican telegram said.
Britain’s King Charles III, who is Australia’s head of state, posted on the royal family’s X account: “Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones of those who have been so brutally killed during such a senseless attack.”
Police said on Sunday that the attacker, identified by police as 40-year-old Joel Cauchi, had mental health issues in the past and there was no indication ideology was a motive in the attack in one of the city’s busiest shopping centres.
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The attacker was known to police in the neighbouring state of Queensland and police have spoken to his family after Saturday’s attack, according to police from New South Wales and Queensland states.
Cauchi’s family recognised him and contacted police on Saturday after seeing news reports of the killings.
“The family, when they viewed footage of the event on TV, thought that may well have been their son and they reached out to authorities,” said Queensland Police Assistant Commissioner Roger Lowe.
People offer flowers for the victims of Saturday’s stabbings at Bondi Junction in Sydney, Australia, on 14th April, 2024. PICTURE: Reuters/Alasdair Pal
The family said they were devastated by his actions, expressing condolences to the victims and the police officer who shot him dead.
“Joel’s actions were truly horrific, and we are still trying to comprehend what has happened,” the family said in a statement. “He has battled with mental health issues since he was a teenager.”
Cauchi had recently moved to Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, from neighbouring Queensland. Police said they had searched a small storage facility he had been renting but found no major evidence to indicate an attack was coming.
He had been diagnosed with mental health issues when he was 17 and had been in contact with police frequently in the past four to five years, said Lowe of the Queensland police. Cauchi had not been arrested or charged with any crimes in Queensland, he added.
Cauchi led an itinerant lifestyle, had recently been sleeping in his car and had only infrequently stayed in touch with his mother via text messages, Lowe said.
