Sydney knife attacker had mental health issues, ideology not motivation | Wilnesh News

The man who stabbed six people to death in Sydney had mental health problems in the past and there was no suggestion ideology was the motive for the attack at one of the city’s busiest shopping malls, police said on Sunday.

The attacker, identified by police as 40-year-old Joel Cauchi, was known to police in neighboring Queensland state, according to New South Wales and Queensland police, who have contacted police after Saturday’s attack. His family talked.

Couch’s family recognized him and contacted police on Saturday after seeing news reports about the killing.

“When the family saw footage of the incident on television they thought it was likely their son and contacted authorities,” Queensland Police Assistant Commissioner Roger Lowe said.

Witnesses described how Couch, wearing shorts and an Australian Football League jersey, walked through the Westfield Bondi Junction shopping center with a knife.

He stabbed six people to death and injured at least 12 before being shot to death by Detective Inspector Amy Scott, who confronted him alone as he went on the rampage.

Some shoppers and staff at a shopping center in Sydney’s east tried to stop him, while crowds hid in closed shops.

“It’s a horrific scene,” NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cook told reporters.

“To date, we have no information, we have received no information, we have found no evidence, and we have gathered no intelligence to suggest that this was driven by any specific motive, ideological or other factor.”

Quinlan Sergeant Lowe said Couch was diagnosed with mental health issues when he was 17 and had been in regular contact with police over the past four to five years. He added Couch had not been arrested or charged with any offenses in Queensland.

Lowe said Couch lived a mobile lifestyle and had recently been sleeping in his car and rarely kept in touch with his mother via text messages.

Stab attacks like Saturday’s are rare in Australia, a country of about 26 million people with some of the strictest gun and knife laws in the world.

Couch recently moved to Sydney. Police said they searched a small storage facility he rented but found no significant evidence that an attack was imminent.

Police said five of the six people killed were women and the male victim was a shopping mall security guard.

A nine-month-old baby was among those taken to hospital with stab wounds in serious but stable condition, police said Sunday. The baby’s mother, Ashlee Good, died of her injuries at a hospital, her family said in a statement.

There was a heavy police presence at the mall on Sunday, which was closed to shoppers and nearby streets were cordoned off. Flowers for the victims began to pile up, and mourners arrived every few minutes.

“The personal stories of the victims, the strangers who rushed to help and the acts of bravery mean that whether you knew the victims or not, you will be feeling sad today,” said New South Wales Governor Chris Mings.

“In the days ahead, the entire state will be supporting these families as they recover and experience the inevitable grief of such a horrific event.”

“Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones of those who were tragically killed in such a senseless attack,” the British king and Australia’s head of state said in a post on the royal family’s X account.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he had also received messages of condolences from around the world, adding that the attack highlighted the bravery of ordinary citizens.

“We’ve seen footage of ordinary Australians putting themselves at risk to help their fellow citizens. This bravery is truly extraordinary,” Sunday said. “This is the best Australian in this tragedy.”