In a shock attack that has rattled Australia, six people were stabbed to death and several others were injured in a knife attack at a popular Sydney shopping mall.
Emergency services rushed to the scene at 3:30pm local time on Saturday as terrifying reports were made of a lone knifeman indiscriminately targeting members of the public.
Videos have since emerged of the attacker, identified as Joel Cauchi, wearing a rugby league shirt and carrying a large blade, with shoppers fleeing in panic.
Among those killed is first-time mother Ashlee Good, whose nine-month-old baby was also stabbed during the incident and has now undergone surgery in hospital. Other victims include a security guard, an architect and the daughter of an Australian businessman, while several others remain in hospital.
Cauchi, who was previously known to law enforcement, was also shot dead by a lone police officer, who confronted the attacker and shot him as he lunged towards her with a knife.
As more information on the terrifying attack continues to come to light, here’s everything we know so far:
Where and when did the attack happen?
Horrified shoppers looked on as the lone knifeman went on a stabbing spree on Saturday at around 3.30pm local time in the Westfield Bondi Junction centre.
New South Wales Police revealed that Cauchi walked into Westfield at Bondi Junction then left the centre very shortly after and returned.
An officer said that he “engaged” with about nine people as he moved through the centre, causing hundreds to flee in panic.
Footage and photos circulated on social media showing the inside of the shopping centre during the attack, including one dramatic clip showing a man on an escalator, brandishing a bollard towards Cauchi, who is visibly holding a large knife.
Other videos show people running through the shopping centre as an alarm rings and later footage shows police cars lining the road outside.
A woman who works in a nearby hair salon who took people fleeing the scene in said some had witnessed attacks in a Tommy Hilfiger store.
Speaking to ABC News Australia from the salon, she said: “We’ve had the older women coming into the salon who were in Westfield, traumatised, we had to sit them down because they were running and they weren’t fit enough to run. Other people (had) seen things that had happened in Tommy Hilfiger, where they were seeing stabs, it was absolutely horrific.”
She said the husband of one of her long-term clients was trapped in another shop’s changing room with a victim.
She said he had come to collect his wife who had finished her shift when “he got trapped inside the women’s changing room with one lady who was stabbed and another two ladies for two and a half hours.”
Who are the victims?
Seven people, including the lone knife attacker, have now been confirmed dead by New South Wales Police.
Four women and one man were killed in the shopping centre, and another woman died in hospital.
They include Ashlee Good, a mother who desperately tried to save her baby by handing it to other members of the public after she had been fatally stabbed.
In a statement, her family said: “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.”
The statement continued: “We can report that after hours of surgery yesterday, our baby is currently doing well. We are so grateful for the expert care and attention of the medical team at Sydney Children’s Hospital.
“The two men who held and cared for our baby when Ashlee could not – words cannot express our gratitude. We are struggling to come to terms with what has occurred.”
The 25-year-old daughter of Australian businessman John Singelton has been named as one of the six victims, with her colleagues posting a moving tribute in her honour. Dawn Singleton was described as a “sweet, kind hearted person” by the White Fox Boutiue, who had her “whole life ahead of her”.
Also confirmed dead is Faraz Tahir, who was labelled by the Australian Pakistani National as “courageous” on social media.
“Let us stand together in solidarity, offering support and prayers to those grieving and affected by this heartbreaking loss,” the statement said.
New South Wales Police confirmed a fourth victim in 47-year-old Jade Young, who worked as an architect in Sydney.
The fifth victim of the stabbing spree was identified by police as 55-year-old Pikria Darchia. Ms Darchia described herself as an artist on her LinkedIn profile, which stated she worked in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi from 2003 to 2013 as a designer.
She then spent three years studying at Sydney’s City East Community College in Bondi Junction from 2013.
Police said the remaining victim is from overseas with no family in Australia, adding that they are attempting to contact their family.
Who is the attacker?
The Sydney knife attacker has been identified as Joel Cauchi, who had suffered mental health issues since he was a teenager, his family said.
The 40-year-old, from Queensland, had been known to police, particularly over the last five years, but had not been arrested or charged before he committed the attack on Saturday.
In a statement released through Queensland Police, the Cauchi family said: “We are absolutely devastated by the traumatic events that occurred in Sydney yesterday.
“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. He has battled with mental health issues since he was a teenager.”
The family contacted authorities when they saw footage of the attack on television, with Queensland police stating they had only had intermitten contact with Cauchi in recent years.
New South Wales Police are investigating the man, who moved to Sydney a month before the attack, hiring a “very small” storage container which police have “worked through”.
