The man killed six people at a Sydney shopping center before being shot dead by a police officer.

Joel Cauchi, 40, armed with a long knife, carried out the knife attack at the busy Westfield shopping center in Bondi Junction on Saturday afternoon.

Five women and one man died and several others, including an infant, were injured. Most of the 12 injured were women. Police said the attackers may have targeted women.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation: “It was clear to me and it was clear to detectives that the offenders were focusing on women and avoiding men and that seemed to be a Areas of Interest.”

“The videos speak for themselves, don’t they? It’s certainly a line of inquiry for us,” she said.

Detectives said they did not believe the incident was terrorism-related and stressed they believed there was “no ideological motive”.

Couch, who is from Queensland, reportedly suffers from severe mental health issues. Police did not provide any further information.

Police said they had spoken to his family and were in the process of notifying the families of the victims, two of whom appeared to have no relatives in Australia.

The final victim of the stabbing on Monday was Chinese student Cheng Yixuan.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: “She is a Chinese citizen who studied here, and she and Ashlee Good (Ashlee Good), Dawn Singleton (Dawn Singleton) , Jade Young, Pikria Darchia, who lost her life along with the security guard (Faraz Tahir), a refugee. “I just. Stayed here for a short time. “

During the attack, Couch was shot and killed by police inspector Amy Scott. The officer’s bravery was praised by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

“We are continuing to profile the offender, but it is clear to us at this stage that this appears to be related to the offender’s mental health,” NSW Assistant Police Commissioner Anthony Cook told reporters at a news conference involving the individual. “

The attacker had previously been known to police but had never been arrested or charged in his home state of Queensland. Officials said he had also been homeless for several years and had no fixed address.

Police raided a small warehouse owned by Couch in Sydney, but their investigation did not reveal his motives.

Ashlee Good, 38, one of the victims, was trying to save her nine-month-old baby from a knifeman when she was attacked. Police said she died at the hospital and the baby underwent surgery.

Her family said in a statement released by ABC: “Today we are saddened by the passing of Ashley, a beautiful mother, daughter, sister, partner, friend and all-around outstanding person. Characters and so on.

“We thank the Australian public for their kind wishes and thoughts for Ashley and our baby girl.

“We can report that our baby is doing well following a few hours of surgery yesterday. We are very grateful to the Sydney Children’s Hospital medical team for their expert care and attention.”

Another victim was Dawn Singleton, the 82-year-old daughter of famous Australian businessman John Singleton.

Ms. Singleton, 25, is one of the advertising entrepreneur’s eight children. According to her LinkedIn profile, she most recently studied at the University of Technology Sydney and has been working at retailer White Fox Boutique.

The store posted a tribute to Ms Singleton on Instagram, writing: “Not only did we lose a White Fox employee over the weekend, we also lost a very special and special person to us. People who are like family.

“We are all devastated by this loss. Dawn was a lovely, kind person who had her whole life ahead of her. She was truly wonderful.

“We send our love and deepest condolences to her partner, the Singleton family and her friends. She will always be remembered as a member of the White Fox family.”

Police said a security guard in his 30s at the mall was killed in the attack.

The Australian Pakistan National Association identified the victim as Faraz Tahir. The statement called him “brave” and added: “Let us unite in our support and prayers for those grieving and affected by this heartbreaking loss.”

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community said in a statement that he was “a dedicated security guard who tragically lost his life while serving the public in this attack”.

The fourth victim is 47-year-old Jade Young, a local Sydney architect, and the fifth victim is 55-year-old Pikria Darchia, who is understood to be from Georgia. state.

Police said they were trying to contact the families of all the victims.