Australian police have identified the knife-wielding man responsible for the deadly attack at a Sydney shopping center as Joel Cauchi, aged 40.

Cauchi instilled panic at the crowded Westfield Bondi Junction complex on Saturday when he began stabbing multiple people with a long blade, resulting in the deaths of five women and one man. Several others, including a baby, sustained injuries during the incident.

Authorities have indicated that the attack is likely linked to Mr. Cauchi’s mental health. When questioned about whether the assailant was targeting women specifically, New South Wales Police Commissioner Karen Webb stated to reporters on Sunday that investigating this aspect would be “an obvious line of inquiry.”

However, Commissioner Webb emphasized that she would not categorize the stabbings as an “act of terror,” affirming that authorities believed there was no ideological motivation behind the attack.

Joel Cauchi had been known to police before, but he had never been arrested or charged in his home state of Queensland. Queensland Police disclosed that he had lived an itinerant lifestyle for several years and had been diagnosed with a mental illness at the age of 17.

In a statement released through Queensland Police, Joel Cauchi’s family described his actions as “horrific” and acknowledged that he had been grappling with mental health issues “since he was a teenager.”

The family expressed deep devastation over the tragic events that unfolded in Sydney.

In a statement released through Queensland Police, Joel Cauchi’s family expressed profound sympathy for the families and friends of the victims affected by the tragic events in Sydney. They also extended thoughts and prayers to those still undergoing treatment.

The family described Joel’s actions as “truly horrific” and expressed their ongoing struggle to comprehend the situation.

They also indicated that they were cooperating with the police and had no issues with the officer who shot Mr. Cauchi, acknowledging that she was performing her duty to protect others.

Meanwhile, initial searches of a small storage unit owned by Mr. Cauchi in Sydney did not reveal any immediate clues regarding a possible motive, according to NSW Police.

Authorities reported that they were continuing efforts to notify families of the victims, with the acknowledgment that two individuals appeared to lack relatives in Australia.

However, the family of Ashlee Good, the mother of the injured baby, indicated that she was among those who lost their lives in the incident. Witnesses recounted to local media that Ms. Good had urgently passed her infant to bystanders in the immediate aftermath of sustaining her injuries.