Who Was Joel Cauchi, Sydney Mall Stabber Who Targeted Women, Avoided Men

Australian police said Monday they are investigating why a 40-year-old man with mental illness appeared to target women as he roamed a Sydney shopping mall with a large knife, killing six people and injuring a dozen more.

The man was identified as Joel Cauchi. His violent onslaught lasting half an hour came to an end when he was shot dead by a police inspector.

Video evidence shows the unshaven, knife-wielding man charging towards mostly female victims in the crowded Westfield shopping complex in Bondi Junction. Five of the six victims that Joel Cauchi killed were women. Most of those injured were also women.

Joel Cauchi was shot dead by a lone female police officer, Amy Scott, at the scene. In a statement, Cauchi’s parents extended their condolences to the victims and denounced their son’s actions as “truly horrific.” Additionally, addressing the officer who fatally shot their son, they said: “She was only doing her job to protect others and we hope she is coping alright.”

Here are five facts about the killer that have been revealed so far:

As per Joel Cauchi’s social media profile, he came from Toowoomba, a city near Brisbane in Queensland. He had attended a local high school and university.

Joel Cauchi sported a distinctive grey, red and yellow dragon tattoo on his right arm. This was one of the indicators used to help identify him.

Joel Cauchi’s family has shared that he has battled mental health issues “since he was a teenager.”

Living predominantly in a vehicle and hostels, he maintained only intermittent communication with his parents through text messages.

A month before the attack, Joel Cauchi had travelled to Sydney where he rented a small storage unit. As per the police, the unit contained Cauchi’s personal belongings.