Westfield massacre live updates: Tragic twist as it’s revealed hero security guard murdered in stabbing massacre was on first day on the job – as four victims including doctor, architect and an advertising heiress are named

Faraz Tahir, 30, has been identified as the security guard stabbed to death at Westfield Bondi Junction on Saturday.

Mr Tahir moved to Australia last year, fleeing persecution from Pakistan.

In a tragic twist, Mr Tahir is understood to have been in the job for a week when he was killed on the weekend.

‘He quickly became an integral part of our community, known for his unwavering dedication and kindness,’ the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community said in a statement.

‘Faraz was not only a valued member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Australia but also actively contributed to the charitable endeavours of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth organisation.’

‘Our thoughts and prayers are with Faraz’s family and loved ones during this difficult time, as well as with all the other victims and their families affected by this senseless act of violence.

‘We extend our deepest condolences and stand in solidarity with the broader community as we come together to support one another in the face of tragedy.

‘We commend the swift response of the authorities and offer our full co-operation with the ongoing investigation.

‘The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Australia remains steadfast in its commitment to promoting peace, unity, and understanding in our society.’

Three other victims have also been identified: Ashlee Good, 38, Dawn Singleton, 25, and Jade Young, 47.

Ms Good was the daughter of former North Melbourne player and club director Kerry Good while Ms Singleton was the daughter of millionaire businessman John Singleton.

Dawn Singleton, who was the daughter of millionaire businessman John Singleton, was engaged to NSW Police officer Ashley Wildey. The pair met in high school.

She had just bought her wedding dress last week and sent out ‘save the date’ invitations to all her guests.

Ms Singleton was shopping at Westfield Bondi Junction for makeup when she was stabbed to death by 40-year-old Queensland man Joel Cauchi.

‘She only bought her wedding dress last week,’ a friend of Ms Singleton said.

‘He was on duty or on call so she had gone shopping. She was outside Chanel.

‘He is devastated. He is getting a lot of help from NSW Police. They are looking after him.

‘The whole wedding was booked. They used the same wedding planners as Kyle Sandilands.

‘I just want to know, where were the men? Why could this man not be stopped?’

Ms Singleton had been employed by White Fox Boutique, with the Australian fashion brand sharing a tribute on Sunday.

‘Over the weekend we lost not only an employee of White Fox but someone special to us who felt like a family member,’ the statement read.

‘We are truly devastated by this loss. Dawn was a sweet, kind-hearted person who had her whole life ahead of her.

‘She was really amazing. We send our love and deepest condolences to her partner, the Singleton family and friends.

‘She will always be remembered as part of the White Fox family.’

A mother-of-two has been identified among the victims of the Bondi Junction stabbing horror.

Jade Young, 47, from Bellevue Hill, died in the attack.

Ms Young worked for a Double Bay architectural firm and was a popular member of the Bronte Surf Club.

‘This is and will be a difficult time for the community, and we encourage you to seek support from family, friends, fellow Club members or to speak to your GP to assist you in processing this tragedy,’ the Club said in a statement.

‘We are here to support the community, and our heartfelt condolences go out to everyone affected.’

She is the second mother to be identified after it was earlier revealed Ashlee Good, 38, was also killed.

Six people were stabbed to death altogether.

The family of 38-year-old Ashlee Good released a statement on Sunday after the mother was fatally stabbed at Bondi Junction on Saturday.

‘Today we are reeling from the terrible loss of Ashlee, a beautiful mother, daughter, sister, partner, friend, all round outstanding human and so much more,’ it read.

‘We appreciate the well-wishes and thoughts of members of the Australian public who have expressed an outpouring of love for Ashlee and our baby girl.’

Ms Good’s nine-month-old baby girl was also stabbed and remains in hospital in a serious but stable condition.

‘We are so grateful for the expert care and attention of the medical team at Sydney Children’s Hospital,’ the statement read.

‘We would also like to thank the New South Wales Police for their kindness and diligence in this tragedy and emergency services for getting our baby the care she needed as quickly as possible.

‘To the two men who held and cared for our baby when Ashlee could not – words cannot express our gratitude.’

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said on X landmarks in the state would be lit up to pay tribute to the victims of the stabbing.

‘Nothing we can do or say can help make sense of this senseless tragedy,’ she wrote.

‘But Victorians are sending love and light to the people of NSW in this moment of darkness.’

Federation Square, the MCG and the Bolte Bridge will all be illuminated white.

National Gallery of Victoria and Arts Centre and GMHBA stadium, in Geelong, are also among the landmarks.

Flags on Sydney landmarks will be lowered to half mast from Monday morning.

The Opera House sails will also be lit with a black ribbon.

A woman, aged in her 40s, has been discharged from St Vincent’s Hospital.

Her son Jake Wineberg said his mother was ‘doing alright’ and seemed to be ‘good spirits’.

‘I’m still shaking thinking of it now,’ he said.

‘It was very scary for the whole family. She’s doing alright. She just left now, but she’s alive, in good spirits.’

Mr Wineberg said he was ‘shaken’ after he first heard his mother had been stabbed.

‘It’s a surprise. You see these things on the news, and you wouldn’t think it would happen in the area where we live, especially your own mother,’ he said.

‘She’ll be OK, just it’ll be a slow process.’

Six people were stabbed to death while at least 12 people were admitted to hospital.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese accompanied NSW premier Chris Minns on Sunday to lay flowers at the site of the horrific stabbing at Bondi Junction on Sunday.

Six people were killed – including 38-year-old mother Ashlee Good while her nine-month-old baby girl was left fighting for life.

Queensland Police Assistant Commissioner Roger Lowe said Joel Cauchi’s family reached out to police after recognising their son in footage of the attack on Saturday.

The family were aware their son had moved from Queensland to NSW, but were not in regular contact with him.

‘As the family have co-operated with the Queensland Police Service in this regard, and we are issuing a statement on their behalf with respect to their own condolences and thoughts to the family and friends of those victims involved in this tragedy,’ assistant commissioner Lowe said.

Joel Cauchi, 40, has been captured on film ordering a Vietnamese chicken curry just hours before he went on the stabbing spree.

He entered Saigon Noodle on Oxford Street at 10.01am before ordering a red chicken curry to eat in.

Cauchi opened his wallet as he got ready to pay, before informing staff he would return shortly.

He came back at 12.21pm and ordered the same meal before sitting down to eat it.

Staff member Rogate Sianipar said Cauchi appeared ‘confused’.

‘He came two times. The first time he didn’t bring the money. I took the order. He said I’ll be back again,’ the staff member said.

‘He just look confused when taking the order.

‘I think he paid with cash.’

Queensland Police Assistant Commissioner Roger Lowe revealed Joel Cauchi was stopped by officers in December.

He was street-checked on the Gold Coast as part of an ‘intelligence gathering’ exercise.

Cauchi was never arrested or charged and was never found in possession of knives in a manner that was deemed unlawful.

‘He has been in contact with the police primarily in the last four to five years,’ assistant commissioner Lowe said.

He was described as ‘itinerant’ with Cauchi moving from Kangaroo Point and Carina in Brisbane to his family’s home ‘in the southern police region’.

Queensland Health has revelaed Joel Cauchi had a history of mental health issues.

‘Queensland Health extends our sympathies to everyone involved in the tragic incident in NSW,’ a statement reads.

‘We will work with Queensland and NSW police on any information and assistance we can provide.

‘The man had been treated by Queensland Health for mental health issues more than a decade ago, but his care was transferred to a psychiatrist in the private sector in 2012.’

A tragic link in the horrific Bondi Junction Westfield stabbing has been revealed, as it comes to light a lifeguard who tried to help a fatally wounded mother were friends.

Ashlee Good, 38, was pushing her nine-month-old daughter in a pram around the shopping centre when the violent events occurred about 3.30pm on Saturday.

Joel Cauchi, 40, who was armed with a knife, stabbed more than a dozen people, killing Ms Good and five others. Her nine-month-old daughter and at least 11 other people were seriously wounded.

Lifeguard Andrew Reid, who appeared in Bondi Rescue, was at the shopping centre, and gave horrific accounts of the events.

Speaking on Channel 9 on Sunday morning, Mr Reid said he saw Ms Good was badly injured.

Mr Reid and Ms Good are both known in the health and fitness communities around the Bondi area.

A 2020 Instagram post from Mr Reid shows them at Bondi Icebergs Swimming Club after a long run.

Weekend Sunrise host Matt Doran could not present the program on Sunday because he knew one of the victims of the Bondi Junction Westfield massacre.

Doran’s regular co-host Monique Wright told viewers both Doran and weatherman James Tobin were close to one of those stabbed at the shopping centre.

‘Matt Doran and JT knew one of the victims very well and they are not with us today to join us on the show,’ Wright said.

Joel Cauchi, 40, worked as a male escort and offered his sexual services online as recently as mid 2023.

In one post, which has since been deleted, he described himself as ‘athletic good looking’.

He offered ‘closed door’ services to both men and women, among other options too graphic to publish.

His services were published on websites including Australia Cracker, Empire Escorts and Escorts Australia.

All websites allow users to upload their own pictures and solicit their own sexual services.

NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott has opened up on the moment she confronted 40-year-old knifeman Joel Cauchi.

Police inspector Scott gunned him down, bringing an end to his rampage that killed six innocent people and left more in hospital.

‘Amy is content with what she had to do,’ Police Association of NSW boss Kevin Morton said.

‘I spoke to her last night and again this morning and she said, “It was a night with not a lot of sleep”.’

He revealed police inspector Scott did not consider herself a hero.

‘She knows she has been tagged a hero but to her she was doing her job,’ he said.

‘I didn’t ask her about the exact incident, because she is yet to be formally interviewed.

‘Everyone will be keeping an eye on her obviously, there will be a lot of support from everyone.’

Police minister Yasmin Catley said she spoke with the officer last night.

‘I thanked her on behalf of the government and the people of NSW for her courage. She was so humble,’ she said.

Ben Cohen, a 20-year-old first-year computing science student at the University of Technology, was falsely accused online of stabbing shoppers at Bondi Junction Westfield on Saturday afternoon.

NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley has since identified 40-year-old Queensland man Joel Cauchi as the man who attacked shoppers with a knife.

NSW police commissioner Karen Webb spoke at a press conference on Sunday where she addressed speculation the knifeman had been targetting women.

‘That’s been reported to me as well, and obviously that will be an obvious line of inquiry,’ she said.

‘And that’s concerning, but that will form an obvious part of the investigation.

‘I mean, anyone seeing that footage can see that for themselves.’

Police commissioner Webb said the motive remained unclear at this point.

A man, who was one of six innocent people killed in the Westfield Bondi Junction attack, is understood to have been a security guard.

‘There was one male murdered, and five females. We understand that the one male was a security guard,’ NSW police commissioner Karen Webb said on Sunday.

Just six days before the attack, Joel Cauchi, 40, invited Sydneysiders to join him for a surf at Bondi Beach in a post shared to a Facebook group for beginner surfers.

Cauchi wrote: ‘Hi I am surfing Bondi this afternoon if anyone wants to meet there for a surf!’.

The post received a barrage of negative reactions moments after police confirmed Cauchi’s identity on Sunday.

In another post, shared in December 2020 to an outdoor adventure Facebook group for Brisbane residents, Cauchi explained he wanted to meet with people who shoot guns.

‘Hi I am looking for groups of people who shoot guns, including handguns, to meet up with, chat with and get to know. Please send me DM if you can help me out! I live in Brisbane by the way,’ Cauchi wrote.

The 40-year-old is understood to have been obsessed with knives.

His parents, who live at Toowoomba in Queensland, took knives away from their son before he moved to NSW.

Cauchi used a knife to kill six innocent people before he was shot dead by NSW Police.

NSW police commissioner Karen Webb has revealed it could be weeks before all six victims are identified.

‘It may be some time before we can identify all of the victims, because some family members do not reside in Australia,’ she said on Sunday.

Two of the victims are understood to have recently moved to Australia.

‘A family liaison officer has been appointed to each family for us to work with them in what is an extremely distressing time for them,’ she said.

Police commissioner Webb was joined by NSW premier Chris Minns.

Mr Minns had been in Japan when the attack unfolded and quickly flew back to Sydney.

‘Sydney has suffered a horrifying and violent attack on innocent people who were doing zomething everybody does on the weekend and that is going shopping with their family and their friends,’ he said.

The third of six victims killed in the horrific stabbing spree at Bondi Junction has been identified.

The woman, whose family has requested to not publicly name, is a mother of two from Bellevue Hill in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

She grew up in the Illawarra and was an expert in building conservation.

Mother Ashlee Good, 38, and Dawn Singleton, 25, were earlier identified as the first two victims.

Mourners gathered to lay flowers outside Bondi Junction Westfield on Sunday morning.

Wentworth federal MP Allegra Spender described it as ‘heartbreaking’.

‘We are all devastated by the shocking attack at Bondi Junction, where innocent people were killed in a senseless act of violence. It is heartbreaking,’ she said.

‘My heartfelt condolences go out to the victims, their families, and everyone who has been affected. Our thoughts are with each and every one of them.’

Waverley mayor Paula Masselos said she was left in ‘utter disbelief’.

‘It’s a close-knit community, people know each other because it’s a meeting place and considered safe, especially Westfield, where parents bring their kids,’ she said.

‘Importantly… this guy was acting alone. He was known to the Queensland Police. So we think there were mental health issues.’

Paramedics were seen wheeling bodies out of the shopping centre after Joel Cauchi, 40, carried out the attack.

Seventeen shoppers were injured – six of whom were killed.

NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott was among the first police officers on scene before she confronted and shot dead Cauchi.

Workers could be seen wheeling bodies, wrapped in a maroon bag, to the front of a long line of white vans, which had arrived to take the victims and their killer away.

Their faces were crestfallen as they wheeled the stretchers out of the shopping centre.

The shopping centre will remain closed for the foreseeable future, though arrangements were being made for those who were forced to flee on Saturday, leaving their cars behind.

The daughter of millionaire businessman John Singleton has been named among the victims of the Bondi stabbing.

Dawn Singleton, 25, was killed by Joel Cauchi at Bondi Junction Westfield. Dawn is one of six people killed in the horrific attack on Saturday.

Dawn is one of three daughters Singleton had during his marriage to lawyer Julie Martin.

She is understood to have been due to marry a NSW Police officer in the coming months, having been together since high school.

‘They are childhood sweethearts, each other’s first boyfriend and girlfriend,’ a source said.

A disturbing theory has emerged after knifeman Joel Cauchi went on a stabbing spree and murdered six shoppers at Bondi Junction Westfield on Saturday.

Chilling footage showed Cauchi ignore a man who had bravely attempted to confront him during the attack.

Speculation has been raised the knifeman had been targetting women.

Today show host Karl Stefanovic said he had ‘no words’.

‘I don’t care what the excuses are, and I hope there’s a special place in hell reserved for him, given the fact that he walked past men, and didn’t do anything about it and attacked women,’ he said.

‘A woman with a baby.’

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese held a press conference on Sunday morning, condemning the attack.

‘The events of yesterday have shocked the nation,’ he said.

‘Australians are waking up to try to deal with the shock and trauma that will come with what has occurred, with violent actions that are unspeakable and really just beyond comprehension.’

‘People going about their Saturday afternoon shopping should be safe, shouldn’t be at risk, but tragically, we saw a loss of life and people will be grieving for loved ones today.

‘We also know there are many people still in hospital dealing with a recovery and our thoughts and prayers are with them. We also though at this time give thanks to our police and emergency services.’

Mr Albanese praised the response of emergency services and the hero cop – NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott – who brought the knifeman to heel.

‘We also give thanks to our police and emergency services,’ he said.

‘The wonderful inspector who ran into danger by herself and removed the threat that was there to others, without thinking about the risks to herself.

‘We also see the footage of ordinary Australians putting themselves in harm’s way in order to help their fellow citizens. That bravery was quite extraordinary that we saw yesterday.’

NSW Police have identified the 40-year-old knifeman as Joel Cauchi.

Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke said he was known to police and originally hailed from Queensland.

‘We know that shortly after coming to Sydney, he took possession of a storage facility that has been identified and we have worked through that very small storage facility,’ he said.

Assistant commissioner Cooke said the attacker ‘very clearly’ had been suffering from mental health issues.

‘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,’ he said.

‘Investigations will very clearly continue through the day.’

According to his social media profiles, Cauchi grew up in Toowoomba and claimed he worked as an English tutor.

He was a surfing enthusiast and just last week posted in a Sydney Facebook group asking if anyone would like to meet him for a surf in Bondi.

Cauchi is understood to have suffered from schizophrenia.

Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke provided an update on Sunday on the victims of the horrific stabbing.

Six shoppers were killed yesterday: five women and one man.

Among the victims was 38-year-old mother Ash Good, while her nine-month-old baby Harriet was left fighting for life.

Harriet remains in ICU in a serious but stable condition.

Two of the victims had no family in Australia.

‘This was a terrible scene,’ assistant commissioner Anthony Cooke said.

NSW Premier Chris Minns is flying back to Sydney from a family holiday in Japan.

‘This is a terrible, violent crime and my heart goes out to those that have lost loved ones,’ Mr Minns said.

‘It’s a truly shocking day in the state’s history.’

He has been briefed by NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb.

‘I can understand that people will be grieving and very angry for the next few days, but we will recover, we’ll be strong,’ Mr Minns said.

‘In the midst of a violent, wicked crime, we’ve seen some examples of exemplary courage from the public and, in particular, NSW Police.’

Acting NSW Premier Penny Sharpe revealed the number of people recovering in hospital had risen by three overnight, taking the total figure to 12.

Devastated locals have laid flowers at the scene of the horrific stabbing that has left six shoppers dead.

NSW Health Minister Ryan Park praised the heroism of emergency service workers on Sunday.

‘I met with the first paramedics and the crew who were on scene, and what they saw and what they went through is horrendous,’ Mr Park said.

‘No doubt the country wakes up this morning with more questions than answers, but one thing we do know is that the bravery, skill and the sheer courage of those frontline police and paramedics who are first on scene is unbelievable.

‘People are alive today because of their work.’

The heroic senior female police officer who single-handedly confronted and shot dead a crazed knifeman has previously been recognised for her courage.

The inspector attached to the eastern suburbs police command was near the busy shopping centre as the terrifying rampage unfolded.

The man lunged at Inspector Scott, who shot him dead.

The senior police officer performed CPR on the killer, along with other victims lying on the ground in nearby stores as she waited for back-up to arrive.

Inspector Scott is ‘doing well under the circumstances,’ NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said on Saturday evening.

A Sky News reporter has fought back tears while remembering a mother who was stabbed to death along with five other shoppers in a horrific and random attack.

Laura Jayes, 40, was visibly distraught during her live cross from Bondi Junction’s Westfield, in Sydney‘s east, while reporting on the death of beloved osteopath Ash Good, 38.

Dr Good and her nine-month-old baby girl, who was also stabbed, were both rushed to hospital.

The man who fatally stabbed six shoppers before he was shot dead by a hero officer officer in a busy shopping centre was known to police.

Eight others were rushed to hospital with stab wounds including a nine-month-old baby.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb revealed on Saturday night that the bearded dark-haired man, 40, was known to law enforcement.

‘We are waiting to formally identify him and we cannot speculate yet on his identification,’ she said.

‘But let me assure you that we are confident that there’s no ongoing risk and we are dealing with one person who is now deceased.’

Police are yet to determine a motive but it has been ruled out as terrorism incident.

‘We know a little bit about this person, but we’re waiting to confirm his identification,’ Commissioner Webb said.

‘And if in fact it is the person that we believe it is, then we don’t have fears for that person holding an ideation.

‘In other words, that it’s not a terrorism incident.’

Six shoppers were stabbed to death, including 38-year-old mother Dr Ash Good, whose nine-month-old baby daughter was also injured.

Eight others remain in hospital in various conditions.

The shopping centre has been closed and will remain shut on Sunday.

Witnesses say the frenzied attacker slashed at shoppers with his 30cm hunting knife as he went on a wild rampage throughout the centre.

He died in a hail of gunfire after he was shot by the lone female police inspector who ran through the shopping centre to confront him and stop his murderous rampage.

‘All she said was “put it down”. Just once,’ witness Jason Dixon said.

‘Then she shot him in the chest and he went down.

‘Then when he fell on the ground she was giving him CPR.’

Hussein Osseili described how he was in the shopping centre with his six-year-old sister and grandmother when he heard gunshots and immediately knew what they were.

‘I just thought I have to get my family to safety. I told them to leave,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.

‘Then I saw a man with a big hunting knife – about 30cm long on the escalator in front of Woolies.

‘He went past Zara and Kmart, he was waving the knife around and stabbing people. He went to level five and then I heard more gunshots of the police. My family is all safe luckily.’

‘There was a lady… and there was just blood everywhere,’ Reid told  Nine News.

‘I realised I had to go and help because that’s what we’re trained to do as lifeguards.’

He and two other members of the public gave the woman first aid, along with police officers.

‘I have never seen so much blood… We were just looking for wounds, trying to stem the bleeding,’ Reid said.

‘As I looked up, there were just multiple victims, about 50m apart. The lady next to us was in a really bad way – there were others working on her.’