On Sunday, April 14, Australians learned the identity of the man who, the day before, had stabbed several people in a shopping mall in Sydney's Bondi Junction neighborhood, killing six passers-by. Joel Cauchi, a native of the Australian state of Queensland, was 40 years old and mentally ill. He was shot dead on the spot by a police officer.

"We are continuing to work through the profiling of the offender but very clearly to us at this stage, it would appear that this is related to the mental health of the individual involved," said Anthony Cooke, assistant commissioner of New South Wales Police, early Sunday morning. "There is still, to this point (...) no information we have received, no evidence we have recovered, no intelligence that we have gathered" suggesting that the attack may have been motivated by "a particular ideology," the official said. Investigators were in contact with the family of the perpetrator, who were cooperating, he added. The assailant was known to the security forces for acts related to his mental illness.

In the Westfield shopping center, declared a crime scene, forensic teams were still hard at work on Sunday morning, while visitors laid bouquets of flowers. Twelve people were still hospitalized.

According to preliminary investigations, Cauchi, who grew up near Brisbane, the capital of Queensland on the east coast of the island continent, moved to New South Wales shortly before the incident, sleeping in his vehicle. In a Facebook post dated January 5, the dark-haired, green-eyed man said he lived in Sydney and was looking for people with whom he could "rideshare with, pay for some fuel and stay at some interesting places."

"Hi I am surfing Bondi this afternoon if anyone wants to meet there for a surf!" he posted again, on April 8, in a group of beginner surfers. He referenced the iconic Bondi beach, located less than 3 kilometers from the shopping mall where the events took place.

According to The Australian, Cauchi, who offered his services as a male escort on adult websites in 2023, was diagnosed with schizophrenia as a high school student and underwent treatment for many years. Although he had never shown any evidence of serious violence, he was said to have developed an obsession with edged weapons.

In December 2020, the man who presented himself as an "online English teacher" had set out, again on Facebook, to find "groups of people who shoot guns, including handguns, to meet up with, chat with, and get to know." The Queensland Police stated that his mental health had deteriorated in recent years.

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