Australian police said on Monday the attacker who stabbed six people to death in a busy shopping mall in the Sydney beach suburb of Bondi may have targeted women, as the nation mourned the victims and hundreds of people laid flowers near the scene.

Five of the six people died in Saturday’s attack and most of the 12 injured were women. Police said on Monday they had completed collecting physical evidence at Westfield Bondi Junction shopping centre.

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

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

Witnesses described how the attacker, 40-year-old Joel Cauchi, walked through the shopping center with a knife wearing shorts and an Australian National Football League jersey. He was killed by Inspector Amy Scott, who faced him alone during his rampage.

Police said Couch had mental health issues in the past and there was no suggestion ideology was his motive.

Violent crimes such as Saturday’s stabbing are rare in the country of about 27 million people, which has some of the toughest gun and knife laws in the world.

When Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was asked on ABC radio whether it was a gender-motivated attack, he said “the gender classification… is concerning”.

“NSW Police said they are investigating the matter,” he said.

The only man Couch killed during the attack was a mall security guard.

Flags were flown at half-mast across Australia, including the Houses of Parliament and the Sydney Harbor Bridge, in memory of the victims. The sails of the Sydney Opera House will be lit up with a black ribbon on Monday night.

Chinese state television reported on Sunday that a Chinese citizen was killed in the attack, but did not identify the victim, adding that another Chinese citizen was injured.