Three mates who chased an armed man through Westfield Bondi Junction have described the moment the “unhinged” killer’s attack was brought to a grisly end.
Joel Cauchi, 40, was fatally shot by a police officer at the shopping centre on Saturday night, minutes after he stabbed more than a dozen people, six fatally.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Witnesses recount the final moments of the Bondi Junction killer.
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Inspector Amy Scott is being hailed as a hero for shooting the knifeman, with the police commissioner saying her actions likely saved several lives.
Ryan Bramble and his friends Nick and Giorgio were shopping at the Zara store when they heard screaming and running.
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Instead of running with the crowd, Ryan said, the trio moved towards the commotion.
“As we’re walking towards the commotion the bloke walks around the corner and he’s just walking casually with a knife,” he told 7NEWS.
“He looked at me and he was only a few metres away, but he hesitated a little bit, kept going, and then a second after that police ran in off the street and she said to me ‘where’s the bloke?’
“I pointed in the direction of him and we all started chasing after him. We chased him up the escalators and for a few hundred metres, and we got to the end and she told him to drop it, she gave him a couple of chances.”
It was then, Ryan said, that Scott shot Cauchi.
Giorgio said that the knifeman could have attacked them but chose to target Scott.
“I was part of the stand-off when he turned around and looked at us all, and looked at her, and he gauged his options and then just ran at her.
“For her to act so quickly, it was just amazing.”
Nick described Cauchi’s appearance as “completely unhinged”.
“When I was in Zara just buying clothes, there was a point where he comes to the front of the shop and just looks at everyone in Zara and kind of threatens them but doesn’t go in,” he said.
“There was a moment where he was just scratching his head with the knife like, nobody was home.
“And at that point, he ran up the escalators and then that’s when the cop came, and before you know it there’s a group of us chasing him all the way around the corner.
“His eyes were black, they were jet black, like he wasn’t there in the head.”
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In a statement shared via Queensland Police on Sunday afternoon, Cauchi’s family expressed its condolences for the victims.
“We are absolutely devastated by the traumatic events that occurred in Sydney yesterday,” the family said.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the victims and those still undergoing treatment at this time.
“Joel’s actions were truly horrific, and we are still trying to comprehend what has happened. He has battled with mental health issues since he was a teenager.
“We are in contact with both the New South Wales Police Force and Queensland Police Service and have no issues with the Police Officer who shot our son as she was only doing her job to protect others and we hope she is coping alright.”
New South Wales Police identified Cauchi as the killer on Sunday.
He had only recently moved to Sydney from Queensland. He is understood to have been diagnosed with schizophrenia and had undergone treatment over the years for mental health issues.
He was in contact with police over the past five years in relation to mental health but had never been arrested in Queensland for any criminal offence.
His last interaction with police was in December on the Gold Coast, where he was spoken to by officers on the street.
NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke told reporters on Saturday night that Cauchi was seen entering the shopping centre, before leaving and then returning about 3.20pm.
He drew a knife from his backpack and began stabbing shoppers and families.
Scott happened to be nearby and responded, fatally shooting the offender after being directed to level five by members of the public.
She is being praised for her “enormous courage and bravery”.
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said Scott was doing well under difficult circumstances.
“She showed enormous courage and bravery,” Webb said.
“It was an awful situation … but it could have been much worse.”
The Westfield will be closed on Sunday and remain a crime scene for several days.
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