Sydney stabbing: Bondi Junction attacker named as Joel Cauchi as four victims named

Police inspector Amy Scott, the first emergency responder on the scene who shot and killed attacker Joel Cauchi, was “certainly a hero”, prime minister Anthony Albanese said.

Six people — five women and one man, aged between 20 and 55 — were killed in the attack. Another 12 were injured and remain in hospital, including a 9-month-old child whose mother was killed in the attack.

The male victim was a security guard at the shopping center and was later identified as 30-year-old Faraz Tahir from Pakistan.

According to a written statement Sunday from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Australia, Faraz had been in Australia for a less than a year and was a “cherished member of our community”.

The family of Sydney attacker Joel Cauchi described his actions as “horrific” and said he had suffered mental health issues “since he was a teenager”.

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.”

“We are in contact with both the New South Wales Police Force and Queensland Police Service and have no issues with the police officer who shot our son as she was only doing her job to protect others, and we hope she is coping alright.”

Footage shows terrified shop workers locking doors and telling customers to “get all the way back” as a knifeman stabbed shoppers at a Sydney shopping centre.

Footage taken from inside the Westfield Bondi Junction shows terrified shop workers trying to shield shoppers from the attacker on Saturday.

A first-time mother was among those killed in a shock stabbing spree at a Sydney shopping mall, with her nine-month-old baby undergoing surgery after suffering knife wounds.

Six people were murdered at the Westfield Bondi Junction centre on Saturday afternoon, with the attacker shot dead by a “heroic” off-duty female police officer who had responded to the scene.

Ash Good, 38, is the first victim to be identified, with witnesses reporting that she handed over her small child to other terrified shoppers for them to carry out make-shift medical aid.

Holly Evans has more in this report:

Workers at a hair salon near the shopping centre ushered in “traumatised” older women.

A woman who works at the salon told ABC News: “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.”

One woman said she saw two dead bodies before she hid in the Lululemon sportswear shop.

She told ABC News: “At the counter while I was as paying I heard this screaming of kids, women and men outside the shop – as soon as I turned my face to look I saw a guy who was wearing this green outfit, jersey materials, with shorts and a t-shirt with a very massive knife on hand.

“Then I saw a dead body right in front. There was massive [amounts of] blood around that body, a few metres after there was another dead body as well on the floor which was pretty scary.

“He had already stabbed two and they were on the floor and he was trying to turn back, like a U-turn, back to Lululemon shop, then I just screamed ‘where is the safest changing room in which I can go and lock myself’.

“I was really in fear, I was thinking if they couldn’t shut Lululemon door then I would maybe get stabbed – we locked down inside Lululemon for 45 [minutes] to one hour as the police came.”

Local politician Kellie Sloane said Saturday’s attack was “something we could never imagine here” in Sydney.

“It’s been an incredibly distressing day for so many people in our community, people who went to the shops today, a packed shopping centre, and then got caught up in something we could never imagine here, something so disturbing and terrifying for many,” said Ms Sloane.

A nine-month-old infant who was attacked during the stabbing spree remains “in a serious but stable condition in hospital”, Assistant Commissioner Cooke said.

He added: “We have a number of people remaining in hospital being treated for their injuries.

“We know many are in a serious but stable condition.

“In particular, a young child remains in a serious but stable condition in hospital.”