‘This was a terrible scene’: Joel Cauchi identified as Bondi Junction attacker

About 17 people were stabbed in the rampage. Four women, aged between 20 and 55, died at the scene. Twelve people were taken to hospital on Saturday. Three more people had presented to medical facilities overnight, including a couple with minor injuries.

The condition of the dozen victims in hospital ranged from stable to critical on Sunday. The nine-month-old baby was serious but stable.

Another of the women who died was a mother-of-two from Bellevue Hill in Sydney’s east. The male who was killed is understood to have been a security guard. Two of the murder victims are believed to have no family in Australia.

Early on Sunday, mourners laid floral tributes to the victims at the shopping centre. A fleet of white vans carrying the bodies of the slain victims left the centre before 10am.

Witnesses said Cauchi had wandered the centre wielding the knife and began to strike at shoppers – seemingly at random – shortly after 3pm, triggering a wave of panic among shoppers.

Good, 38, was desperate to save her baby after they were both stabbed, handing her daughter to two male shoppers as she was critically injured. She died later in hospital.

Her family said in a statement they were “reeling from the terrible loss of Ashlee, a beautiful mother, daughter, sister, partner, friend, all-round outstanding human and so much more”.

They said Good’s baby was “doing well” after hours of surgery. They thanked the public for their “outpouring of love for Ashlee and our baby girl”.

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

High-profile Sydney defamation lawyer Rebekah Giles was with Good, who was a close friend, before the stabbing. Giles had left the shops but raced back to her friend after she heard reports of a disturbance at the centre. She was supporting Good’s family on Sunday.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said the “horrifying and violent attack on innocent people” would be subject to a major criminal investigation to “prevent acts like this from happening again”.

“The entire state will have to get behind those families in the days ahead as they recover as they go through the inevitable grief associated with such a horrifying, horrifying event.”

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He praised the “instinctive bravery” of Inspector Amy Scott, who fatally shot Cauchi, saying the police officer ran towards danger and “without a shadow of a doubt, saved many, many lives”.

“The best in this state confronted one of the worst acts we’ve ever seen,” Minns said.

Police say CCTV footage shows Cauchi walked into the centre at 3.10pm, but left shortly after. He returned about 3.20pm, and word began to spread among shoppers that a man was stabbing people.

People locked themselves in store rooms, hid in change rooms – some for hours – or fled to exits.

Shoppers screamed as shop windows clapped down, and emergency warnings blared across the centre.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the stabbings had “shocked the nation”.

“There are many people still in hospital dealing with a recovery and our thoughts and prayers are with them.”

The shopping centre remains closed.

If you or anyone you know needs help, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 (and see lifeline.org.au) or Beyond Blue on1300 22 4636 (and see beyondblue.org.au).