Sydney: Australian police have identified a 40-year-old man with mental illness as a suspect in a stabbing attack at a Sydney shopping mall that left six dead and several others in critical condition.
New South Wales Police Assistant Superintendent Anthony Cook said the man was from north-east Queensland and was known to law enforcement.
“As of right now, we have nothing, no information received, no information we’ve gathered, no information to indicate that this was motivated, ideologically or otherwise,” Cook said.
“We know that the perpetrator in this case has mental health issues,” Joel Cauchi said of the 40-year-old man who was shot by a senior police officer in Saturday’s incident.
On his Facebook profile, he said he was from Toowoomba, near Brisbane, and attended a local high school and university.
A gray, red and yellow dragon tattoo on his right arm is used to identify him.
He arrived in Sydney about a month ago and said he was renting a small warehouse unit in the city.
It has personal items, including a boogie board.
Police are trying to understand why the attackers were chosen at random.
Five women and one man were killed in a riot at a mall in Bondi Junction, Sydney, on Saturday afternoon.
Among the injured was a nine-month-old baby, who was described as “critical but stable in hospital”.
Two of the dead said they had no family in Australia and were trying to contact relatives overseas.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australians, often unaccustomed to violent crime, were struggling to make sense of the “truly incomprehensible” attack.
“People shopping on Saturday afternoon should be safe and not take risks. Tragically we see the loss of life and people are grieving for their loved ones today,” he said.
“We also know there are many recovering in hospital and our thoughts and prayers are with them.”
Albans said he received reports from US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Richie Sunak and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, among others.
He once again hailed the police officer who killed Cauchi as a hero.
“A great inspector,” he said, “doesn’t think about the risk, and takes the risk himself.”
The flower arrangement outside the shopping mall started on Sunday morning.
A white ribbon topped with a bunch of flowers says “RIP” with a love heart drawn on the black ribbon.
Sydney mall attacker identified, ‘nothing’ to suggest terror motive
