Joel Cauchi, 40, was the mastermind of the attack on Saturday afternoon at a crowded Sydney retail center, according to New South Wales Police (NSW), which released a statement on Sunday. Cauchi was shot and killed by a police officer.
Cauchi carried out the knife attack at the Bondi Junction Westfield Shopping Center. The police accused Cauchi of having unspecified mental health issues.
The incident is not thought to be connected to terrorism, according to investigators who have spoken with Cauchi’s family.
“At this point, it seems very clearly to us that this is related to the mental health issue,” NSW Assistant Police Commissioner Anthony Cooke told reporters during a press conference. “We are continuing to work through the profiling of the offender.”
