The Sydney knife attacker had mental health issues, no ideology, no motive

The man who fatally stabbed six people in Sydney had a history of mental health problems and there was no evidence ideology was a motive in the attack at one of the city's busiest shopping centres, police said on Sunday.

The attacker, identified by police as 40-year-old Joel Cauchi, was known to police in neighboring Queensland state, and police spoke to his family after Saturday's attack, police from both New South Wales and Queensland said .

Cauchi's family recognized him and contacted police on Saturday after seeing news reports about the killings.

“When the family saw footage of the event on TV, they thought it might be their son and contacted authorities,” Queensland Police Deputy Commissioner Roger Lowe said.

Witnesses described how Cauchi, wearing shorts and an Australian rugby league shirt, ran through the Westfield Bondi Junction shopping center with a knife.

He fatally stabbed six people and injured at least twelve before being shot dead by Detective Inspector Amy Scott, who confronted him solo as he went on his rampage.

Some customers and staff at the eastern Sydney shopping center tried to stop him and the crowd took shelter in shuttered stores.

“This was a terrible scene,” New South Wales Police Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke told reporters.

“There is still nothing that we have, no information that we have received, no evidence that we have recovered or information that we have gathered that would indicate that this was caused by any particular motivation, ideology or otherwise.”

Cauchi was diagnosed with mental health problems at the age of 17 and had been in regular contact with police over the past four to five years, Queenland police officer Lowe said. Cauchi had not been arrested or charged with any crimes in Queensland, he added.

Cauchi led an itinerant lifestyle, had recently slept in his car and had only rarely kept in touch with his mother via text messages, Lowe said.

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

Cauchi had recently moved to Sydney. Police said they searched a small storage unit he had rented but found no significant evidence indicating an attack would take place.

Five of the six people killed were women, and the male victim was a mall security guard, police said.

Those taken to hospital with stab wounds included a nine-month-old baby who was in serious but stable condition, police said on Sunday. The baby's mother, Ashlee Good, died in hospital from her injuries, her family said in a statement.

There was a heavy police presence Sunday at the mall, which was closed to shoppers and nearby streets closed. A mountain of floral tributes to the victims began to grow, with mourners arriving every few minutes.

“The individual stories of those who were murdered, the complete strangers who rushed in to help and the acts of courage and bravery mean that – whether you know the individuals who were murdered or not – you are grieving today,” New said. South Wales State Premier Chris Minns.

“The entire state will stand behind these families in the coming days as they recover and endure the inevitable grief of such a horrific event.”

Britain's King Charles, Australia's head of state, wrote on the royal family's X account: “Our thoughts go out to the families and loved ones of those so brutally murdered in such a senseless attack.”

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

“We've seen images of ordinary Australians putting themselves in harm's way to help their fellow citizens. That bravery was quite extraordinary,” Sunday said. “It is the best Australian in the midst of this tragedy.”