knife attack

The attacker who attacked with a knife, killed and injured innocent citizens in a busy shopping center in Sydney, Australia, has been identified.

According to the Police Authorities, the perpetrator is 40-year-old Joel Cauchi, who is not connected in any way to terrorist or other criminal activity, had no criminal record but was known to the police because of the mental problems he was facing.

This was stated by the assistant commander of the New South Wales Police Antonio Cook, specifying that the attacker was 40 years old and came from the northeastern state of Queensland.

No criminal record

According to police the perpetrator, who caused the unnecessary death, “has not been prosecuted or arrested or charged with any offense within Queensland and has not been recorded in the courts for a domestic violence order”. The last time he had contact with the police was last December and there was nothing to suggest that this man would be capable of committing this type of multiple crime.

The perpetrator is mentally disturbed

According to police information, Cauchi had a history of mental health problems, ruling out for now any connection to terrorist ideologies. Apparently, the attacker who was recorded on video running into the center armed with a knife and wearing a green and gold Kangaroos jersey, was suffering from schizophrenia.

Police also visited Cauchi’s father’s home in Toowoomba today, Sunday, with a neighbor telling the media he had met Joel and describing him as “disturbed”.

“They seem like a nice family with a nice house, but he had schizophrenia growing up.” “It’s a spin out, he could have done this here,” the man said, according to the Daily Telegraph.

The weird posts

Just six days before the fatal incident, Cauchi was looking on social media for a surf buddy at Bondi Beach. They often posted in Facebook groups looking for friendship or advice on activities such as astrophotography.

In December 2020, in a post that today seems to have dark overtones, he extended an invitation to an outdoor adventure page.

“Hi, I’m looking for groups of people who shoot guns, including pistols, to meet, chat and get to know each other,” he wrote at the time. He added, “Please send me a DM if you can help me! I live in Brisbane by the way.”

Five dead – 12 injured

The tragic toll of the Sydney shopping mall attack is five women dead and 12 injured, including a nine-month-old infant who is in critical condition and whose mother died after being stabbed by the attacker to protect her baby. who was finally neutralized by the bullets of a police officer of the group that attempted.