Bondi Westfield attacker Joel Cauchi ’possibly’ targeting women

Before he launched his bloody rampage at a Bondi Westfield shopping centre, Queensland man Joel Cauchi took possession of a small storage facility and sought help to learn to surf.

Westfield Bondi killer Joel Cauchi was from Queensland.

Less than a week before killing six people in a deadly stabbing rampage at an upmarket Sydney shopping centre, 40-year-old Queensland man Joel Cauchi was appealing for surfing buddies on Facebook.

“Hi I am surfing Bondi this afternoon if anyone wants to meet there for a surf!” Cauchi posted on the Beginning Surfing & Adventuring (Sydney AU) Facebook page on the morning of April 8.

According to police, he’d recently moved to Sydney from Queensland.

The Australian understands Cauchi grew up in Toowoomba, west of Brisbane, graduating from Harristown State High School in 2000 before studying at the University of Southern Queensland and had been working as an English tutor for a number of years

He took a surfing lesson at Rainbow Beach, north of Brisbane, in August 2022, telling instructors he was a strong swimmer with no medical issues.

Cauchi’s family is now helping NSW Police with their investigations, which are focusing on his apparent mental health issues.

NSW Police are investigating whether Cauchi was deliberately targeting women on Saturday.

Cauchi was shot dead by police as he ran around Westfield Bondi Junction stabbing shoppers including a nine-month-old baby in a pram. Five of the victims, including the baby, were female.

Joel Cauchi has been named as the attacker.

Cauchi posted to social media about learning to surf at Bondi in the days before the killings.

Police are in contact with Cauci’s family, who are cooperating with the investigation.

NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke told reporters police believe Cauci came to NSW last month.

Asked whether police would investigate if Cauchi was targeting women, Cooke said officers would consider it as a possibility.

“I do not know that to be the case at this stage but clearly those matters will be part of the investigation as it continues,” he said.

“We are working through the process now of speaking with the families and supporting the families of those victims,” Assistant Commissioner Cooke said.

He confirmed Cauchi came to New South Wales last month and took possession of a small storage facility.

“As I had said last night, there is still to this point nothing that we have, no information we have received, no evidence we have recovered, no intelligence we have gathered, that would suggest that this was driven by any particular motivation, ideology or otherwise,” Cooke said.

“We know that the offender in the matter suffered from mental health.

NSW Police and Forensics teams work to remove bodies at the scene on Sunday after six people died, and many others were injured, including a nine-month-old baby. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Monique Harmer

“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.”

Cauchi had no criminal history, but was known to Queensland police for “mental health welfare issues”.

Senior sources have told The Australian he did not have a criminal history in Queensland, but police in the state were aware of him because of his “mental health welfare issues”.

NSW Police believe Cauchi moved to Sydney last month. His Queensland-based family are helping with investigations.

It comes as Queensland Premier Steven Miles has offered his NSW counterpart Chris Minns “any assistance required”.

Last night, Mr Miles tweeted that the violence at Bondi Junction was “devastating”.

“Devastating news out of Sydney this afternoon with reports of multiple casualties at Westfield Bondi Junction,” he wrote.

“Our thoughts are with all those affected and their loved ones.”

Two of the victims who were killed in the horrific attack are from overseas, and do not have any family in Australia. Police are working with international agencies to track down their loved ones.

The daughter of millionaire businessman John Singleton is reportedly among the victims.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said on Saturday night the incident was not believed to be terror-related, but whether the victims were deliberately targeted remained to be seen.

“It’s very early days but there is no suggestion that there was anyone targeted, but that could change and we will only know that in time,” Commissioner Webb said late on Saturday.

“The community, like we do, should feel very sad about what happened here but they should have no concerns, ongoing concerns.

“We believe that this person acted alone and there is no ongoing threat to the community.”

“In other words it is not a terrorism incident.”

Assistant Commissioner Cooke told reporters “a number” of people remain in hospital and “many are in a serious but stable condition”.

An infant remains in a serious but stable condition, he said.

The baby was thrown into the arms of strangers by her mother, Sydney osteopath and first-time mum Dr Ashlee Good. Cauci reportedly attacked the baby in her pram before turning the knife on Dr Good, who later died of her injuries.

Another of the victims is Dawn Singleton, 25, the daughter of millionaire businessman John Singleton, The Daily Telegraph reports.