Sydney knife attacker had mental health issues but was not motivated by ideology, police say

The man who stabbed six people to death in Sydney had a history of mental health issues and there was no sign that the attack at one of the city’s busiest shopping centers was ideologically motivated, police said Sunday. It was announced on .

Police in New South Wales and Queensland say the suspect, identified by police as Joel Couch, 40, is also known to police in neighboring Queensland, and police said he was arrested after Saturday’s attack. He said he spoke with his family.

Couch’s family saw news reports of the killing on Saturday, recognized him and called police.

“The family saw footage of the incident on television and thought it could be their son, so they alerted authorities,” Queensland Police Deputy Commissioner Roger Rowe said.

Joel’s family said they were devastated by his actions and expressed their condolences to the victim and the police officer who shot him. “Joel’s actions were truly horrific and we are still trying to understand what happened. However,” he said in a statement. “He has struggled with mental health issues since he was a teenager.”

“Terrible scene”

Witnesses described how Couch, wearing shorts and an Australian National Rugby League jersey, ran through Westfield Bondi Junction Mall with a knife.

He stabbed six people and seriously injured at least 12 before being killed by Inspector Amy Scott, who confronted him alone during his rampage.

Some shoppers and staff tried to stop him at a shopping mall in Sydney’s east, and the crowd took shelter in shuttered stores.

“This was a horrific scene,” NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Anthony Cook told reporters.

“There is no information to date, no information received, no evidence or information recovered to suggest that this was driven by any particular motive or ideology or anything.”

Couch had recently moved to Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, from neighboring Queensland. Police said they searched a small warehouse he had rented but found no significant evidence of a coming attack.

Mr Lowe, of the Queensland Police Service, said he had been diagnosed with mental health issues at the age of 17 and had been in frequent contact with police over the past four or five years. Mr Couch added that he had not been arrested or charged in Queensland.

Lowe said Couch lived an itinerant lifestyle, sleeping in his car these days and rarely communicating with his mother by text message.

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 stabbing are rare.

Tribute grows

Police said Sunday that five of the six people who died were women, and those taken to hospital with stab wounds included a 9-month-old infant who was in critical but stable condition.

The baby’s mother, Ashley Goode, died from her injuries at a hospital, the family said.

The only man killed in the attack, mall security guard Faraz Tahir, 30, arrived in Pakistan last year as a refugee from Pakistan, according to a statement from Australia’s Ahmadiyya Muslim community. He belonged.

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.” .

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

“We have seen footage of ordinary Australians putting themselves at risk to help their fellow citizens. Their courage was absolutely extraordinary,” he said on Sunday. “Australians are doing the best they can despite this tragedy.”