Sydney stabbings: What we know about the six victims of the mall attack
Five women and one man were killed by knife attacker Joel Cauchi at Bondi Junction on Saturday
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Your support makes all the difference.Tributes are flooding in for the six people killed in the stabbing rampage at a shopping mall in Sydney, including for a mother who died trying to save her nine-month-old baby.
Five women and one man were killed by knife attacker Joel Cauchi in the Westfield shopping centre at Bondi Junction on Saturday.
The victims have been named as Dawn Singleton, 25, Jade Young, 47, who worked as an architect in Sydney, 55-year-old Pikria Darchia, security guard Faraz Tahir and Chinese student Yixuan Cheng. Ashlee Good, 38, died in hospital from her wounds and her nine-month-old daughter Harriet has undergone surgery.
Police shot and killed the attacker, Mr Cauchi. Authorities have ruled out terrorism and said the 40-year-old had a history of mental illness.
Here is what we know about the victims of the Bondi stabbing:
Dawn Singleton
Ms Singleton, 25, was the daughter of John Singleton, 82, a well-known entrepreneur in Australia who built his success through advertising.
She was soon to be married and had only purchased her wedding dress a few days prior to the attack. Her fiance, a police officer, was reportedly one of many emergency responders called to the scene.
According to her LinkedIn profile, she had studied for a degree in communications at the University of Technology Sydney and worked at clothes retailer White Fox Boutique.
In a tribute released on Instagram, her employers said: “Over the weekend we lost not only an employee of White Fox but someone special to us who felt like a family member.
“We are all truly devastated by this loss. Dawn was a sweet, kind-hearted person who had her whole life ahead of her. She was amazing.”
Ashlee Good
Ashlee Good, 38, who was attempting to save her nine-month-old baby when she was attacked by Joel Cauchi, later died in hospital. Ms Good reportedly passed her baby to two strangers nearby before she lost consciousness.
Police said the baby had undergone surgery following the attack.
A statement from Ms Good’s family said: “Today we are reeling from the terrible loss of Ashlee, a beautiful mother, daughter, sister, partner, friend, all-round outstanding human, and so much more.
“We appreciate the well wishes and thoughts of members of the Australian public who have expressed an outpouring of love for Ashlee and our baby girl.”
New South Wales health minister Ryan Park said on Monday her daughter Harriet had moved from a critical to serious but stable condition in Sydney Children’s Hospital.
Faraz Tahir
The only male killed was Faraz Tahir, a 30-year-old Pakistani refugee who worked at the mall as a security guard.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Australia said Faraz had been in Australia for less than a year and was a “cherished member of our community”.
“He quickly became an integral part of our community, known for his unwavering dedication and kindness,” the organisation said.
It also said Faraz contributed to charitable endeavours supporting Muslim youth in Sydney. Faraz was credited with trying to stop the attack.
“We are devastated by Faraz’s passing and recognise our team member’s bravery and role as a first responder,” Elliott Rusanow, CEO of the mall owner Scentre Group, said in a statement to Nine News. “Another member of our security team was injured and remains in hospital.”
Jade Young
Jade Young, 47, was a mother of two who had been an architect for more than 20 years. She lived in Bellevue Hill, an eastern Sydney suburb near the shopping mall, and was a volunteer member of the Bronte Surf Life Saving Club.
“I sadly have to report that a Bronte SLSC member, Jade Young, lost her life during the tragic events in Bondi Junction yesterday,” the club said in a statement to Nine News.
“Some of you might have known Jade as she and her family have been active in youth education.”
Pikria Darchia
Pikria Darchia, 55, was named as the fifth victim late on Sunday.
According to Darchia’s profile on LinkedIn, she was an artist and had worked as a designer for 10 years in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Prior to that she had finished a masters degree in performance art at the Tbilisi State Academy of Art.
In Australia, she studied business administration. Darchia’s profile said she spoke English, Russian and Georgian.
Yixuan Cheng
Yixuan Cheng, a Chinese graduate student, was the final victim to be identified Monday.
Chinese news service Sydney Today reported the 27-year-old was studying for a master’s degree in economics at the University of Sydney.
The report said she had called her fiance in China, who has only been identified as Wang, just minutes before the attack.
“She happily talked to me on the phone at around 3 p.m. She even tried on clothes for me to see,” Wang said.
After the attack, Wang said he had tried to call Cheng “day and night, but there was no contact at all.” Wang said the pair had planned to marry after Cheng graduated.
Additional reporting by agencies
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