Malcolm Turnbull names Brighton terror victim as Kai Hao
UPDATE: The mother of the man who was shot dead by terrorist Yacqub Khayre in Brighton on Monday has spoken of the pain of losing her only child, saying she doesn’t know how they will go on without him.
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THE MOTHER of Chinese-Australian Kai Hao who was shot dead by terrorist Yacqub Khayre in Brighton on Monday has spoken of the pain of losing her only child.
The mother, who did not want to be identified, said her 36-year-old son supported her and her wheelchair-bound husband and that she doesn’t know how they will go on without him.
“I feel like my world has ended. I can’t describe how sad I feel right now,” said through an interpreter.
“When I sent my son to Australia, I was happy to see him go to a new country but now I have to take him back to China in a box.
“I truly don’t know how I will go on from now.”
Kai — known to many as Nick — arrived in Australia in 2002 and studied at Monash University.
He was married just a month ago, and was due to return to China later this year to celebrate.
“We were planning to host a huge wedding banquet at the end of August in China but now I have to go back with his remains instead,” his 63-year-old mother said.
She broke down in tears as she spoke of her hate for the terrorist who took her son from her.
“I can’t tell you how much hatred I feel toward the terrorist who did this to my son,” she said.
“I hate that terrorist that tore my family apart and now my son is gone.
She said all of her and her husband’s savings went toward sending Nick to Australia, and without him they are “helpless”.
“All he has ever worked for in the past decade is gone with him.
“We have nothing left.”
She slammed the parole system for allowing Khayre to be allowed to walk free in the community.
“If he didn’t hurt my son, he would have hurt someone else and that would be another family in grief right now. That is why he shouldn’t be let back into the community.”
Nick was shot dead in the foyer of his workplace at Buckingham Serviced Apartments in Brighton by Khayre who took a woman hostage and shot at three police officers.
“I got the news at 3am and I haven’t been able to sleep or eat in the past two days,” his mother said.
“They have been the saddest and darkest of our lives.”
A fundraiser will soon be established to support the victim’s family.
Gunman ‘confused’: Islamic council
THE state’s peak Muslim body has questioned whether the Brighton attack was a terrorist incident.
The Islamic Council of Victoria said today that while police considered it a potential terrorist attack, the “perpetrator himself appeared to be confused as to who he was acting on behalf, claiming allegiance to both ISIS and al-Qaeda, known enemies”.
“While there is debate about this individual’s motives for this callous and evil crime, what is clear is that (Yacqub) Khayre had a long criminal record, had served jail time for violent offences, and was in fact on parole at the time of the incident,” said a council statement.
The council said “what we must avoid is sensationalising or somehow attributing unwarranted significance to these criminals because it exacerbates prevailing fears and tensions and potentially encourages copycat behaviour”.
“Whether this act was inspired by an evil warped ideology or was in fact the actions of a deranged violent individual, this does not change the reality that a horrendous crime was committed in which an innocent person was killed, a woman was held hostage, and police officers’ lives were put at risk,” the statement said.
The ICV said it also wanted to express support to the Somali community “who will be unfairly vilified because of the actions of this one man”.
“They have made, and continue to make, an invaluable contribution to Victorian society,” it said.
Earlier today, the two policemen who were first on scene at the Brighton apartment block on Monday afternoon revisited the scene of the bloody crime.
The officers, who rushed to the Bay St address after receiving reports of gunfire, took their time peering through the padlocked gate and reading the floral tributes for Kai Hao.
Chinese-born Australian citizen Kai Hao, 36, was shot and killed by Yacqub Khayre in the foyer of the apartment complex, in Melbourne’s southeast, just after 4pm on Monday.
Bunches of flowers and sympathy of cards, many written in Chinese, have been placed at the entrance of the apartments for the father-of-one who was married only two weeks ago.
An elderly man laid a bouquet of flowers and card which read: “Condolences to the wife and baby of the man killed in our neighbourhood. It could have been any of us. We feel your sadness.”
As part of a touching tribute left at the scene, Jason and Eva shared a photograph of their friend Mr Hao participating in a charity fun run through Melbourne.
“You may be gone from our own sight,” they wrote.
“Your face may become blurred years later in our memory ... but your soul will remain with us.
“A beautiful soul that is never forgotten.”
Police returned to the apartment this afternoon to further examine the scene.
A man who worked with Mr Hao said he was shocked by what had occurred at the apartments.
“It’s very sad and something that was so unpredictable,” the man said.
“It’s something we have to face ... we will work with the police.”
Holiday makers, who had been locked out of the apartments block while it was declared a crime scene, returned to the property to retrieve their belongings.
Daqing Fu and his family returned to collect their luggage which they had left at the apartment before their scheduled flight home to China on Monday night.
Mr Fu last spoke to Mr Hao on Monday — just hours before the terror unfolded — when the receptionist offered to store his suitcases.
He said that, ironically, he had asked Mr Hao whether his suitcases would be safe there and he assured him they would be.
“He was very friendly to us,” Mr Fu said. “It’s very sad.”
A police information van was set up about 500 metres from the scene of the tragedy to reassure locals that “they were safe”.
“We want to reassure the public that this was an isolated incident,” the officer said.
The officer told the Herald Sun that while some residents were anxious following Monday’s violence, most that had stopped by did so to pass on their thanks to the police for their bravery.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull this morning confirmed Kai Hao had been killed during the Brighton attack.
“Kai Hao — a dad, has been killed by a terrorist in Melbourne, Australia,” Mr Turnbull told 3AW on Wednesday. “A heartbreaking crime.”
Channel 7 last night named him as Nick Hao.
Police are yet to confirm Mr Hao’s identity, but Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton said the man was recently married and a father.
“Our sympathies go out to his family and we will be providing support,” he said.
Mr Hao was the only person killed during the two-hour siege that Khayre claimed was inspired by Islamic State.
Police say that Khayre approached Mr Hao after an escort he had arranged arrived.
Khayre went to the foyer and shot Mr Hao before returning to his room, where he held the 36-year-old escort hostage.
Police were called a short time later and Khayre was killed in a dramatic shootout with heavily armed officers.
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