REVEALED: Sydney Mall Killer Worked as Male Escort, Obsessed With Knives
April 14 2024, Published 4:30 p.m. ET
The knife-wielding assailant who stabbed and killed six people and wounded a 9-month-old baby before being shot dead by a lone policewoman at a crowded shopping mall in Sydney, Australia on Saturday has been identified, RadarOnline.com has learned.
The perpetrator behind the devastating rampage has been revealed as Joel Cauchi, a 40-year-old man who worked as a male escort, struggled with mental illness, and was obsessed with knives.
Six people were killed and several more left injured by the attack.
The owner of a knife-sharpening business in Queensland, where Cauchi lived until a month ago, told The Guardian Australia that Cauchi was an "odd" and "strange" guy who came into the shop roughly three years ago to get his two "everyday knives" sharpened.
"Which I thought was weird," the owner recalled. "He wasn't a chef or a butcher. He goes, 'Oh no, I just do a bit of dabbling in the backyard with the knives and I use them every day.' ... His expressions, he was just very vague, I suppose you could say. No real personality about him, just weird."
Cauchi reportedly called the police when his family tried to take several knives away from him and hide them in early 2023.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised the bravery of the officer who stopped the assailant.
A former teacher, Cauchi began advertising himself as a male escort in mid-2023.
In a profile on an escort website that has since been removed, Cauchi described himself as an "athletic good looking 39 year old guy" offering "closed door" services.
"Let me gently massage all of your body, and have me in any and every way!" he wrote. "I can do groups, romantic or anything you desire, just let me know anything you need!"
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"It was carnage," one witness reported.
Cauchi moved from Queensland to Sydney last month and had reportedly been living in his vehicle.
Queensland police assistant commissioner Roger Lowe said Cauchi had not been prosecuted or charged with any offense in Queensland.
"This gentleman was diagnosed with a mental illness at the age of 17 and has had treatment over the years," Lowe said. "From our investigations ... just in the last number of years, his mental health has declined."
The incident is Australia's deadliest act of mass violence in eight years.
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In a statement issued on Sunday, Cauchi's family said they were "absolutely devastated."
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the victims and those still undergoing treatment at this time," they said. "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."
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