©(David Gray / AFP)
Australian police have identified a 40-year-old man as the perpetrator of a shopping centre stabbing rampage that killed six people and left several more in a critical condition.
New South Wales police Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke said Sunday the man had come from the northeast state of Queensland and was known to law enforcement.
"There is still to this point nothing that we have, no information we have received, no evidence we have recovered no intelligence that we have gathered that would suggest that this was driven by any particular motivation ideology or otherwise," said Cooke.
The 40-year-old man -- who was shot dead by a senior policewoman at the scene -- was named as Joel Cauchi.
He is believed to have come to Sydney a month ago and hired a small storage unit in the city. It contained personal belongings, including boogie board.
Among his victims was a nine-month-old baby who was said to be in a "serious but stable condition in hospital."
Two of the victims are said to have no family in Australia and attempts are being made to contact their relatives overseas.
A vigil attended by several dozen people was held on Sunday evening in front of the vast Westfield Bondi Junction shopping complex, where the attack took place on Saturday afternoon.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute to the bravery of bystanders who helped each other and the policewoman who intervened, braving the danger. "She is certainly a hero. She undoubtedly saved lives by doing so," he said.
King Charles III, the British monarch and head of state of Australia, said in a statement that he was "horrified" by the "senseless" attack.
Pope Francis said he was "deeply saddened" by the "senseless" attack.
Pranjul Bokaria was leaving work and running some errands when the attack took place. She ran to a nearby store and took refuge in a break room. "It was frightening, there were people crying," she told AFP.
This type of attack is extremely rare in Australia. In November 2018, a knife-wielding individual had killed one person and injured two others on a Melbourne street before being shot dead by police. The crime had been claimed by the Islamic State.
Laura Chung, with AFP
New South Wales police Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke said Sunday the man had come from the northeast state of Queensland and was known to law enforcement.
"There is still to this point nothing that we have, no information we have received, no evidence we have recovered no intelligence that we have gathered that would suggest that this was driven by any particular motivation ideology or otherwise," said Cooke.
The 40-year-old man -- who was shot dead by a senior policewoman at the scene -- was named as Joel Cauchi.
He is believed to have come to Sydney a month ago and hired a small storage unit in the city. It contained personal belongings, including boogie board.
Among his victims was a nine-month-old baby who was said to be in a "serious but stable condition in hospital."
Two of the victims are said to have no family in Australia and attempts are being made to contact their relatives overseas.
A vigil attended by several dozen people was held on Sunday evening in front of the vast Westfield Bondi Junction shopping complex, where the attack took place on Saturday afternoon.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute to the bravery of bystanders who helped each other and the policewoman who intervened, braving the danger. "She is certainly a hero. She undoubtedly saved lives by doing so," he said.
King Charles III, the British monarch and head of state of Australia, said in a statement that he was "horrified" by the "senseless" attack.
Pope Francis said he was "deeply saddened" by the "senseless" attack.
Pranjul Bokaria was leaving work and running some errands when the attack took place. She ran to a nearby store and took refuge in a break room. "It was frightening, there were people crying," she told AFP.
This type of attack is extremely rare in Australia. In November 2018, a knife-wielding individual had killed one person and injured two others on a Melbourne street before being shot dead by police. The crime had been claimed by the Islamic State.
Laura Chung, with AFP
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