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Bondi Junction stabbings
2024 stabbing attack in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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On Saturday 13 April 2024, 40-year-old Joel Cauchi stabbed and killed six people and injured a further twelve in the Westfield Bondi Junction shopping centre in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He targeted women, killing five and wounding twice as many. He attacked two male security guards, killing one. The injured included a nine-month-old girl. Cauchi was later fatally shot by NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott after he ran at her with a knife in hand.
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Background
Westfield Bondi Junction is a major shopping centre in Sydney's eastern suburbs, and is the fourth-biggest shopping centre in New South Wales. The attack took place within a span of minutes on a Saturday afternoon when the area was filled with hundreds of visitors.[6]
Attack
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According to the NSW Police Force, the perpetrator entered Westfield Bondi Junction at around 3:10 pm AEST wearing a sports jersey.[7] He left the centre and returned 10 minutes later with what onlookers described as a 30-centimetre (12 in) knife, first concealed in his backpack.[8][9][10]
Eyewitnesses said that he was behaving erratically, and video clips from security cameras and bystanders filming showed the perpetrator lunging at some shoppers with his weapon while ignoring others. Several shoppers confronted the man, barring his passage to certain areas, as well as grabbing tools from nearby stores to defend themselves.[11] Phone video showed one man, later identified as French construction worker Damien Guerot, preventing the perpetrator from climbing an escalator to a higher floor by brandishing a bollard at him.[12][13]
The attacker returned to the centre at 3:22 pm. About ten minutes later, he was waiting in line at Sourdough Bakery. At 3:32:57 pm he pulled the knife from his backpack and fatally stabbed Dawn Singleton,[14] who was just in front of him at the line. Then the perpetrator moved south. At 3:33:01 pm, he lethally stabbed Jade Young just south of the bakery. He tried to attack a woman outside AJE Athletica, but merely scratched her. At 3:33:18 pm, he fatally stabbed Yixuan Cheng outside the former Peter Alexander store (now the site of Stylerunner). The perpetrator then stabbed a woman outside Cotton On and another outside Lululemon – both victims survived.
At 3:33:28 pm, two security guards, Muhammad Taha and Faraz Tahir, noticed an attack was happening and decided to report it. They walked towards the Sourdough Bakery and the centre's air bridge.
The perpetrator attacked another woman outside Kookai; she survived. Cauchi briefly entered the Myer store, where he stabbed another woman; she also survived.
At 3:34 pm, he ran from the store and stabbed Ashlee Good outside AJE Athletica. As Good staggered away, the perpetrator started to stab her nine-month-old daughter. Good ran back and tried to fight him, but he stabbed her again. She died of her wounds but had succeeded in saving her daughter, who survived.
At 3:34:26 pm, the perpetrator, later identified as Joel Cauchi, ran back past Sourdough Bakery and stabbed both security guards.Tahir was fatally wounded but Taha survived his injuries. Cauchi continued running north, stabbing two women; both survived. At 3:34:51 pm, he fatally stabbed Pikria Darchia outside Chanel Boutique.
Following this, he moved down to the third floor and stabbed his final victim at 3:35:40 pm, outside Zimmermann. That woman also survived her injuries. ⁹⁹
Cauchi ran around the third floor and tried to access the fourth floor via an escalator. Two Frenchmen, Damien Guerot and Silas Despreaux, rescued a woman on the escalator and tried to block him with bollards. Eventually, the two men threw their bollards at Cauchi and ran out of the mall. The attacker moved up to the fourth floor and stayed near the escalator to the fifth floor outside the ZARA store.[15]
Emergency services were called following reports of multiple people being stabbed.[10][16] Law enforcement had the building evacuated, and public transport around the area was rerouted.[17] Around 40 New South Wales Ambulance resources were deployed to the scene.[18]
Amy Scott, with the command staff at the four police stations that comprised the region, was on the road when her car’s radio issued a “double-beep” meaning an urgent communication.[19] The dispatcher requested any police car in the vicinity to go to Bondi Junction Westfield’s immediately after receiving multiple calls of stabbings.
Scott was already very close to the location; she acknowledged the job and activated her car’s lights and siren.[20] She arrived at the shopping centre at 3:37:21 pm as the first officer on the scene. She entered the centre on the fourth floor with the two Frenchmen next to her. Cauchi moved up to the fifth floor while Scott and the two Frenchmen followed him up the same escalators.
At 3:38:02 pm, Cauchi started to run, with Scott and other civilians chasing him. While running, he lunged at several people with the knife but didn't stab them. Eventually, he turned around and started to run towards Scott.
At 3:38:40 pm, Cauchi ran towards Scott, still holding the knife in his hand. Scott fired three rounds from her duty handgun, one striking Cauchi in the shoulder and one striking his neck. The third missed him.[15] As he collapsed, she rolled him over and kicked the knife a safe distance away, and began to perform CPR on him immediately.[21][22][23][24] Both activation of the shopping centre’s alarm system and the sounds of the police shooting alerted more people inside the shopping centre to the attack incident. More people were evacuated and, in other cases, store attendants locked down their premises, sheltering customers inside.
Scott directed a security guard to see if any shopper had been hit by the stray bullet, one of the three shots she had made earlier that missed Cauchi. No bypasser was hit. Later, when the mall was forensically examined, that stray bullet was found stuck in a pot plant. It was learned that during the attack, a young woman had been hiding behind it with her child, but luckily they were not in the line of fire.
Scott later testified that those five minutes when she had stayed with Cauchi and waited for the guard to return and report on whether anyone had been hit, felt like a “lifetime”. By then, other police had arrived and they took over performing CPR on Cauchi. Scott said she was in a curious position, as until she was relieved by someone more senior, she was the scene’s commanding officer.[25][14]
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Casualties
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At 6:15 pm, NSW Assistant Police Commissioner Anthony Cooke, in a press conference, initially confirmed five victims had been killed along with the perpetrator, while several others remained critically injured.[26]
Five victims died at the scene. Twelve others were hospitalised, including a nine-month-old girl who underwent surgery,[26] and her mother,[27] who later died in hospital,[28] raising the death toll of victims to six.[29] Some of the injured were described as being in a critical condition.[10] A member of the shopping centre's security was among the injured.[30] On 15 April, China's Foreign Ministry confirmed the death of one Chinese national and the injury of another, stating it will closely monitor the ongoing investigation into the incident.[31]
All six fatalities were adults, comprising five women and one man.[10] The deceased victims were: Cheng Yixuan, 27 (Chinese: 程逸轩), a student at University of Sydney from China;[32][33][34] Pikria Darchia, 55 (Georgian: ფიქრია დარჩია), an artist and designer;[35] Ashlee Good, 38, mother of the wounded baby and daughter of former AFL player, Kerry Good;[36] Dawn Singleton, 25, daughter of entrepreneur John Singleton;[37] Faraz Ahmed Tahir, 30 (Urdu: فراز احمد طاہر), an unarmed security guard at the shopping centre and refugee from Pakistan;[8][30][38] and Jade Young, 47.[9][39]
Perpetrator
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On the morning after the stabbings, the perpetrator was named as Joel Cauchi, a 40-year-old man from Toowoomba, Queensland, who travelled to Sydney in March 2024. His family contacted police after recognising Cauchi on the news.[9] Cauchi's parents said that they were "absolutely devastated", adding that "Joel's actions were truly horrific". They also said they had no issues with the police officer who shot their son.[40]
Police learned that Cauchi lived a transient lifestyle, was not known to be employed, and was effectively homeless.[9] He was understood to be single with no children.[9] Cauchi suffered from mental health issues and was first diagnosed as such at the age of 17,[18] with investigators stating that he was believed to have schizophrenia.[41][42][43] Cauchi's mental health had deteriorated in recent years,[9] while his parents, who said that he had stopped taking medication,[40] noticed that he had become fascinated with knives and began collecting about six of them in January 2023, adding that Joel had previously reported his father to police when he tried to take away his knives.[8][44] Queensland Police said that Cauchi had been known to them for the past four to five years, with their last recorded interaction with him being a "street check" over suspicious behaviour in December 2023.[45]
Cauchi advertised himself as a male escort on social media.[46] Less than a week prior to the attack, he also posted to a Bondi community Facebook page searching for surfing partners within Bondi.[43]
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Investigation
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Preliminary enquiries suggested that Cauchi had acted alone.[47] His motive remains unknown.[48]
At 8:30 pm, NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb addressed the media, saying police believed the attacker was a 40-year-old male and that the incident was not an act of terrorism.[49] She said there was no ongoing risk to the public.[50] She also alluded that the attacker might have been known to police. The Australian Federal Police were subsequently deployed to assist the state police in their investigation.[10]
At a press conference on 14 April, the day after the stabbings, NSW Police said the perpetrator was 40-year-old Joel Cauchi from Toowoomba, Queensland. They stated that Cauchi, shortly after coming to Sydney, "took possession of a storage facility", and that police had gone through that very small storage facility, later confirmed to be in Waterloo, an inner-city suburb of Sydney. Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke said that police had not received evidence that the attack was "driven by any particular motivation – ideology or otherwise", adding that Cauchi suffered from mental health issues.[9] Authorities later said that Cauchi had visited two other Westfield outlets in the days leading to the attack.[51]
On 15 April, Commissioner Webb said it was "obvious" to her that Cauchi deliberately targeted women during the attack, while avoiding men.[52] Cauchi's mother suggested that he targeted women "because he wanted a girlfriend and he's got no social skills".[53] However, on April 2025, Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Marks claimed during an inquest hearing that Cauchi did not specifically target women, and simply attacked "whoever was in his way", citing his untreated mental illness as a factor.[2]
NSW Premier Chris Minns announced the establishment of an A$18 million (US$11.6 million) coronial inquest into the police response, Cauchi's previous interactions with authorities, and the effectiveness of NSW's mental health system.[52][54][55] The state government also said that it would review the usage of weapons by security guards in crowded places such as shopping centres and hospitals.[56]
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Misinformation
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Misinformation about the attack circulated on X, Tumblr and Telegram regarding the identity of the stabber. Initially, the false assumption that the perpetrator was Muslim and the attack was linked to Islamic terrorism was promoted by commentators such as Julia Hartley-Brewer, as well as Britain First co-founder Paul Golding,[57][58] while Rachel Riley linked the attack to support for Palestine and the "global intifada".[59] Islamophobic and anti-immigrant comments were rife online in the hours after the attack, fuelled by speculation with racist or Islamophobic undertones.[58]
A 20-year-old University of Technology Sydney student with a Jewish surname was also falsely accused of carrying out the attack. Many accounts and political commentators, such as neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell,[60] "Aussie Cossack" Simeon Boikov, and conspiracy theorist Maram Susli,[61][62] targeted the student for his Jewish heritage or extremist belief. Channel 7 then named the student as the attacker during live coverage and published the report on YouTube without waiting for verification.[63][64][65] The company subsequently issued an apology for the error.[65] On 17 April, the student falsely accused of being the attacker sought legal representation for defamation action against Channel 7.[66] The defamation case was settled on 26 April, with Seven acknowledging their error was "a grave mistake".[67]
The Islamophobia Register of Australia recorded 46 reports of hate-related incidents following the stabbing, which it partially attributed to the misinformation released by Islamophobic figures.[68]
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Aftermath
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A GoFundMe campaign set up in Ashlee Good's name raised over A$650,000 (US$416,000) for her daughter, who was taken out of intensive care on 16 April following surgery for chest and arm injuries[69] and was discharged from hospital on 21 April.[70]
Police returned control of the Westfield shopping centre to its management on the evening of 14 April.[8] The centre reopened on 18 April for a "community reflection day" to allow people to pay their respects and leave floral tributes, with counselling services on site. Scentre Group, which runs the Westfield shopping centre chain, said that it would implement increased security measures in all its stores, including providing enhanced protective clothing for security personnel.[56][71] It also waived rent payments from the shopping centre's retail tenants from 13 to 19 April.[72] Commercial operations resumed on 19 April.[73]
On 21 June, during a graduation ceremony at the Goulburn Police Academy for 169 new officers, Detective Inspector Amy Scott who stopped the attacker was awarded with the NSW Police Commissioner's Valour Medal, one of the highest in the State’s police for those 'who display exceptional bravery in life-threatening situations'.[74]
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Reactions
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that the attack was a "horrific act of violence" and also said he had been briefed on the attack and expressed sympathies with those affected as well as first responders.[75][6]
He also called Amy Scott a "hero".[23] On 18 April, Damien Guerot was granted permanent residency in Australia in recognition for his actions.[71] This led Muhammad Taha, a security guard from Pakistan who was also injured while confronting Cauchi, to ask why he also wasn't given permanent residency. After his comments were published, the Australian government granted Taha permanent residency on 19 April.[76][77]
Albanese received messages regarding the attack from world leaders such as United States President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.[78] Sympathies were also expressed by Australia's head of state, King Charles III and his wife Queen Camilla,[79] the Prince and Princess of Wales,[80] Pope Francis,[81] and French President Emmanuel Macron, who also praised Damien Guerot and Silas Despreaux for confronting Cauchi.[82]
Acting NSW Premier Penny Sharpe convened a meeting of the state cabinet which also briefed Premier Chris Minns, who was in Tokyo on leave at the time of the attack and subsequently returned to the state.[14] Minns said he was "horrified to hear about the events at Bondi Junction" and, along with Sharpe, expressed sympathies to those affected as well as first responders. On 15 April, Minns said that he was considering the establishment of a permanent memorial to the victims of the attack. An online condolence book was set up by the NSW government.[83] Queensland Premier Steven Miles offered full cooperation of his state's authorities in the investigation after it emerged that the perpetrator came from Queensland.[84] Additional police were deployed in shopping centres in Queensland as a precaution.[45]
Tributes
The day after the stabbing, members of the public laid flowers near the shopping centre's entrance on Oxford Street in tribute to the victims, while volunteers were deployed to offer mental health support.[18]
A vigil was also held at Bondi Junction by Australian-based members of the Ahmadiyya community in remembrance of the victims, particularly Faraz Tahir, an Ahmadi Muslim and volunteer contributor to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth organisation.[85][86]
Albanese declared a national day of mourning for 15 April,[83] during which flags were flown at half-mast on government buildings and other major landmarks[87] while the Sydney Opera House was lit up with a black ribbon in the evening.[88]
North Melbourne Football Club players wore black armbands in its Australian Football League match against Geelong on 14 April in honour of Ashlee Good, who was the daughter of its board member and former player Kerry Good.
NCIS: Sydney season 2, episode 6 "Hell Week", that aired 14 March 2025, included an title card before closing credits in memory of Jade Young.[36] A minute of silence preceded an A-League Men match between Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers, which was played at Allianz Stadium four hours after the attack occurred.[89] A minute of silence was also held at National Rugby League games following the attack, including the Wests Tigers against the St. George Illawarra Dragons at Campbelltown Stadium on 14 April,[90] as well as the Sydney Roosters hosting the Melbourne Storm at Allianz Stadium on 18 April.[91]
A candlelight vigil was held on 21 April by Waverley Council and the NSW Government at Bondi Beach. Hundreds of people attended, including the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, the NSW Premier and the NSW Governor.[92][93]
Flag of the University of Sydney at half-mast following the attack
Makeshift memorial honouring victim Cheng Yixuan at the University of Sydney[94]
Floral tributes at Bondi Junction after the attack
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See also
- List of mass stabbing incidents (2020–present)
- 2024 Wakeley church stabbing, another stabbing with three injuries in Sydney that occurred two days after this incident.
- 2025 Bondi Beach shooting
References
External links
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