SYDNEY: The man who stabbed six people to death in Sydney had a history of mental health issues and there was no indication his attack at one of the city’s busiest shopping centers was ideologically motivated, police said. It was announced on Sunday.
NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Anthony Cooke told a press conference that the gunman, identified by police as Joel Couch, was known to police in neighboring Queensland and that after Saturday’s attack, police had identified him as Joel Couch. He said he had spoken to his family.
Witnesses described how Couch, wearing shorts and an Australian National Rugby League jersey, ran around Westfield Bondi Junction Mall with a knife, attacking random people.
Some shoppers and staff tried to stop him at a shopping mall in Sydney’s east, and the crowd took shelter in shuttered stores.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Sunday: “We have seen footage of ordinary Australians putting themselves at risk to help their fellow citizens. Their courage was quite extraordinary.” “Australians are doing the best they can despite this tragedy.”
The 40-year-old attacker killed six people with a knife and injured at least 12 others before being shot dead by Detective Inspector Amy Scott, who confronted him alone during his rampage.
“This was a terrible scene,” Cook said.
“We have no information to this point to suggest that this was driven by any particular motive or ideology or anything like that, no intelligence received, no evidence recovered, no evidence collected. There is no information.”
Australia, a country of about 26 million people, has some of the strictest gun and knife laws in the world, but attacks like Saturday’s are rare.
Mr Couch had recently moved to Sydney. Police said they searched a small warehouse he had recently rented but found no significant evidence of a coming attack.
According to police, five of the six people killed were women, and the male victim was a security guard at a shopping center.
Those taken to hospital with stab wounds included a 9-month-old infant who was in critical but stable condition, police said Sunday. The baby’s mother, Ashley Good, died from her injuries at a hospital, her family announced.
On Sunday, there was a heavy police presence at the mall, which was closed to shoppers and nearby streets were also closed. The pile of flowers in memory of the victims began to grow, with mourners arriving every few minutes.
“The individual stories of those killed, the strangers who rushed to their aid, and their acts of bravery and bravery mean that you are grieving today, whether you knew the people who were killed or not. ” said New. South Wales First Minister Chris Minns.
“Over the coming days, our entire state will continue to support families as they recover and overcome the inevitable grief caused by such a horrific event.”
Australia’s head of state, Britain’s King Charles, posted on his Royal Family X account: “My heart goes out to the families and loved ones of those brutally killed in such a senseless attack.” .
(issued April 14, 2024, 03:22 IST)
