A stabbing at a crowded shopping mall in Sydney, Australia on Saturday afternoon left six people dead and at least 11 others injured, including a 9-month-old baby girl. The rampage was the deadliest act of mass violence in the country since 2017.
Authorities announced Sunday that the gunman, identified as Joel Couch, 40, was shot and killed by a police officer.
Here's what we know so far about this attack:
What happened in Sydney?
The attack took place at Westfield Bondi Junction, a popular shopping center in Sydney's affluent eastern suburbs, about a mile from the famous Bondi Beach.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene when shoppers noticed someone running inside the mall saying he had a knife. Police said the suspect began stabbing people as he moved through multiple floors of the mall.
Police said five people died from their injuries at the scene, and a woman later died at a hospital. At least 11 people were taken to hospital, including eight women, two men and a 9-month-old baby, police said.
Multiple reports of stabbings were received from the shopping mall shortly after 3:30pm local time on Saturday.
Couch was shot dead after police officer Amy Scott, who was working nearby, led her into a shopping center where she confronted him with a weapon.
Michael Dunkley, 57, who witnessed the attack, said officers ordered Couch to drop the knife. He “didn't say anything,” Dunkley said. “He seemed determined.”
Five of the six victims were women.
By Monday morning, the identities of all six victims had been made public by their families, employers, communities, and authorities.
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Ashley Goode, a 38-year-old new mother, was stabbed along with her nine-month-old daughter. Her family said the baby underwent surgery Saturday night and was doing well, but Good did not survive.
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Community groups said Faraz Tahir, 30, was a security guard who came to Australia from Pakistan about a year ago. Ahmadiyya Muslim Community spokesperson Mirza Sharif said Saturday was the first time Tahir had worked at the Bondi Junction shopping mall.
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Jade Young, 47, was a mother of two daughters and an active member of the nearby Bronte Surf Life Saving Club. According to her LinkedIn profile, she worked as an architect.
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Dawn Singleton, 25, worked at online fashion retailer White Fox Boutique.
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Pikuria Dalkia, 55, was an artist and designer, according to her social media accounts.
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Yixuan Cheng, a Chinese national, was a student at the University of Sydney.
The motive for the attack is unknown.
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said the motive for the attack was unknown, but there was no indication it was related to a hate crime or terrorism.
Asked on Sunday whether it appeared the attacker had named the woman, she said it would be an “obvious” focus for police to investigate.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Roger Rowe of Queensland, where Mr Couch lived before moving to Sydney about a month ago, said Mr Couch had a history of mental health issues. Officials did not provide details.
Police said Couch's family, who had not been in regular contact with him, contacted authorities after recognizing him from the television broadcast. In a statement, his family called his actions “absolutely horrifying.”
Bondi Junction is a shopping and tourist hub.
Bondi Junction is an affluent area of Sydney where tourists and beachgoers alike stroll, shop, and meet friends.
The area draws crowds on weekends, where people can shop at the upscale stores at the Westfield Mall complex, watch movies, and buy groceries.
The precinct is also a hub for beachgoers and residents to access many of the city's popular eastern beaches from central Sydney.
The attack was an unusual event in Australia.
The shopping center stabbing was the country's deadliest act of gang violence since 2017, when a man deliberately drove his car into a Melbourne shopping mall, stabbing his brother and taking a woman hostage, killing six people. became.
After the 1996 mass shooting in the Tasmanian town of Port Arthur that killed 35 people, lawmakers tightened gun control and unified laws across the country.
“Things like this shouldn't be happening in this country,” Dunkley said. “People come here because it's safe here.”