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‘Bloody legend’: Dad’s heroic act to save kids from Bondi stabbing

UPDATE: Video footage of a father fleeing Bondi Junction with his children on Saturday has gone viral as he attempted to protect the kids from witnessing the horrific trauma.

Bondi Westfield stabbing killer identified

A dad has been hailed a “hero” and a “legend” after a video emerged of him leading his young children out of Bondi Junction on Saturday after the mass stabbing.

In the video, the dad can be seen with his arms held tightly around the shoulders of two kids. The had eye masks over their eyes.

“Just saw two young children on the news with eye masks over their eyes being guided by their father out of Bondi Junction shopping centre,” one person wrote on X.

“That man covered their eyes so they wouldn’t see the horrors of what has just happened. That’s a bloody amazing father.”

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Children wear eye masks as they leave Bondi Junction Westfield

Social media was flooded with people commending the dad for his quick thinking.

“What an amazing man and father,” said one person. “His kids are so lucky to have a quick-thinking and protecting dad. We have seen many heroes.”

“Doing what he can to protect them from years of trauma,” said another. “Well done mate.”

What happened in the Bondi Junction stabbing?

Just after 3pm on Saturday, crowds of shoppers were spending an afternoon at Bondi Junction when terror unfolded.

Cauchi was captured on CCTV walking into the Westfield shopping centre at Bondi Junction. He left soon after and then returned at 3:20pm, carrying a 30cm knife.

Police received multiple triple-zero calls as Cauchi wielded the knife and began stabbing shoppers, seemingly at random.

If you're worried about how recent events are affecting your child, listen and subscribe to Kidspot's podcast Mum Club. Paediatric Psychologist, Amanda Abel, shares how to speak to children about worrying events and signs to look out for that tell they might be struggling.

Panicked shoppers ran for their lives, desperate to get out of the path of the killer.

Over 200 police from the Tactical Operations Unit entered the shopping centre, but it was a lone senior female police officer who was at the Westfield on a separate assignment who confronted Cauchi and shot him to death.

One man and five women, including Ash, are confirmed dead.

In addition to the six killed, eight people were stabbed and remain in hospital.

RELATED: Shock details emerge as Bondi mum killed

RELATED: Man responsible for Bondi Junction stabbing spree named

Joel Cauchi killed six people before he was shot dead by a police officer. Photo: AFP
Joel Cauchi killed six people before he was shot dead by a police officer. Photo: AFP

Joel Cauchi named as Bondi Junction stabbing spree attacker

Queensland man Joel Cauchi has been named as the attacker behind Saturday’s horrific stabbing spree at Bondi Junction.

The 40-year-old was shot to death by a police officer but not before he managed to stab six people in a seemingly random attack.

According to witnesses, it was about 3pm when Cauchi walked through the shopping centre casually, wearing a Kangaroos rugby league jersey.

Shoppers ran in terror, but Cauchi was still able to kill six people and seriously wound a further eight people before he was taken down.

“We are continuing investigations in relation to him,” NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Tony Cooke told The Daily Telegraph.

“We believe he came to New South Wales last month. We have spoken to his family and we will continue to do so.

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

Joel Cauchi has been named as the killer in the Bondi Junction mass stabbing. Photo: Facebook
Joel Cauchi has been named as the killer in the Bondi Junction mass stabbing. Photo: Facebook

Mum Ash Good among victims of Bondi Junction stabbing

New mum Ash Good was among the six victims killed by Cauchi on Saturday.

The 38-year-old was shopping with her nine-month-old baby when Cauchi attacked the pair. Harriet and Ash were both stabbed.

According to witnesses, the new mum sacrificed her own life to save her baby.

Ash Good was one of six victims of the stabbing at Bondi Junction on Saturday. Photo: Facebook
Ash Good was one of six victims of the stabbing at Bondi Junction on Saturday. Photo: Facebook

“The mum came over with the baby and threw it at me, and I was just holding the baby,” a man, who was shopping with his brother, told 9News.

“I just helped out, just holding the baby and trying to compress the baby and the same with the mother, trying to compress the blood from stopping and calling the ambulance and police.

“We just kept yelling out to get some clothes to help us compress and stop the baby bleeding.”

Medical teams rushed Ash to St Vincent’s hospital in a critical condition, but tragically, she died soon after arriving.

Her baby is in a serious condition at Sydney Children’s Hospital, her heartbroken dad keeping vigil by the tiny girl’s bedside.

Originally published as ‘Bloody legend’: Dad’s heroic act to save kids from Bondi stabbing

Original URL: https://www.couriermail.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/bloody-legend-dads-heroic-act-to-save-young-girls-from-bondi-stabbing/news-story/dfbb9ef6e952a0240bb2210176ec2e3e