Joel Cauchi's killing rampage at a Sydney shopping centre has sent shockwaves around the world.
The Queensland man, who suffered mental health issues, stabbed six people to death - five women and one man - on Saturday afternoon in the Westfield Mall at Bondi Junction. He also injured 12 others, including the baby of a woman he murdered.
Police have said they will be investigating whether the attacker intentionally targeted women. Cauchi, 40, went on the rampage with a 12-inch blade before he was shot dead by hero police inspector Amy Scott as he charged at her.
His family said in a statement released through Queensland Police: "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the victims and those still undergoing treatment at this time. Joel's actions were truly horrific, and we are still trying to comprehend what has happened.
"We are in contact with both the New South Wales Police Force and Queensland Police Service 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 coping all right." Here, The Mirror looks at the six victims who tragically lost their lives in the horror attack...
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Ashlee Good
Ashlee Good died in hospital (PA)New mum Ashlee Good died trying to save her baby girl, Harriet. The 38-year-old osteopath passed away in hospital from her wounds, while her nine-month-old baby has undergone surgery for her injuries.
One witness told the BBC he heard screaming and turned to see a woman and her baby being attacked. The woman - believed to be Ashlee - managed to reach the Tommy Hilfiger shop where she passed her little girl to by-standers in a desperate bid for help. "Some of the other shoppers were using clothing and things to try and… stop the bleeding," the onlooker said. "The baby only had a minor wound, but the lady was pretty bad… there was a lot of blood and she was panicking."
One of the men who helped told 9News: "I was holding the baby. It looked pretty bad." His brother added: "He helped with holding the baby and trying to compress the baby and same with the mother. We just kept yelling out to get some clothes, get some shirts and just help us to compress and stop the baby from bleeding."
Ashlee was the daughter of former Aussie rules footballer Kerry Good. Kerry Good was a member of the Australian Bloodstock syndicate which won the 2023 Melbourne Cup with Gold Trip. Her family said in a statement: "Today we are reeling from the terrible loss of Ashlee, a beautiful mother, daughter, sister, partner, friend, all-round outstanding human, and so much more.
"We appreciate the well wishes and thoughts of members of the Australian public who have expressed an outpouring of love for Ashlee and our baby girl." They added: "We can report that after hours of surgery yesterday, our baby is doing well.
"We are so grateful for the expert care and attention of the medical team at Sydney Children's Hospital. To the two men who held and cared for our baby when Ashlee could not — words cannot express our gratitude."
Dawn Singleton
Dawn tragically died at the scene (linkedin)Dawn Singleton, 25, was another of Cauchi's victims who died at the scene in the shopping centre. The young woman, who was soon to be married, is one of three daughters and eight children of well-known Aussie entrepreneur John Singleton, 82. She is believed to have been shopping for make-up for her wedding in Chanel when she was killed.
Her police officer fiancée and childhood sweetheart, Ashley Wildey, had just finished his shift when he was dispatched to the scene of terror. "Ashley had arrived at Westfield when officers realised his fiancée was one of the victims," a source said last night.
Dawn's employer, fashion house White Fox Boutique, said: "She was a sweet, kind-hearted person who had her whole life ahead of her. She was really amazing. We are all truly devastated by this loss. We send our condolences to her partner, the Singleton family and her friends." Dawn had already bought her wedding dress and had been sending out wedding invitations with Ashley, it is understood.
Singleton, an entrepreneur who made his fortune in advertising, has been one of Australia’s leading horse owner-breeders over many years. He was the owner of Strawberry Road, who won the Cox Plate in 1983 and went on to have a lucrative career in Europe, as well as the Magic Millions racehorse auction house.
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Last year he began to cut back his involvement when he sold his 190-acre Strawberry Hill Stud to Coolmore. Singleton received confirmation of his daughter’s death in a heartbreaking call from radio host Ray Hadley, a long-time friend.
Hadley revealed to. news.com.au, “I got a text from Singo about half past six pleading for me to ring him. I didn’t know what it was about. We’d been mates for 30 years. I rang him and he said, ‘I think my Dawnee is one of those who has lost their life. I can’t confirm it. Can you do something?’
“I rang some contacts in police and I rang the police commissioner and asked her if she had any names and she said, ‘Only one’, and confirmed it was Dawn, a beautiful 25-year-old girl.
“I’ve known her since she was born and I had the job of ringing John back and officially confirming that his dear darling daughter had been stabbed to death by this lunatic.”
Faraz Tahir
It was reportedly Faraz's first shift at the mall. He was the only male victim to be killedSecurity guard Faraz Tahir has been labelled "courageous" after being fatally stabbed at work in the shopping centre during the attack. The Guardian Australia reported that it was tragically the 30-year-old's first day shift.
He had sought refuge in Sydney a year ago after fleeing persecution from Pakistan. A statement from Australian Pakistani National Association said: "Let us stand together in solidarity, offering support and prayers to those grieving and affected by this heartbreaking loss."
Jade Young
Jade is survived by her two childrenArchitect and mother-of-two Jade Young, 47, has also been named as one of the victims of the knife attack. She moved to Sydney to study at the University of NSW, and had previously studied in the UK at London's Architectural Association School.
Bronte Surf Lifesaving Club, where she was a member, said in a tribute: "It is with profound sadness that we share the loss of member Jade Young. On behalf of Bronte Surf Lifesaving Club, we extend our deepest condolences to the Mclaughlin family. Many club members will be affected by the loss of Jade and the impact of this senseless and tragic event will affect each of us differently over time."
Pikria Darchia
Pikria Darchia, one of the six victims of the knife attack (PA)
She was an artist (PA)Originally from the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, 55-year-old Pikria Darchia was identified on Sunday as the fifth victim of the attack by police. She described herself as an artist on her LinkedIn page.
Yixuan Cheng
Chinese student Yixuan Cheng (NINE NEWS)Yixuan Cheng, 25, was confirmed as the sixth fatal victim of the attack. Wang Chunsheng, China’s acting consul general in Sydney, said he was "very sorry to hear about" Cheng's death.
Yixuan was studying for a master's degree in economics at the University of Sydney, according to Sky News Australia. The consulate would be in contact with her relatives in China to make arrangements, Wang said. In similar cases in the past, Chinese relatives have been flown to Australia.
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