Police Commissioner: The attacker on Bondi "focused on women and avoided the men." Minns funds $18m coronial enquiry into stabbing attack.

The Opera House sails will be lit with a black ribbon on Monday night, and in preparation, flags are flying at half mast throughout Sydney and floral tributes are still growing.

Eight people remained in the hospital on Monday, including a nine-month-old girl in serious but stable condition after surgery.Among the casualties was Ashlee Good, a 38-year-old osteopath, whose daughter, who was nine months old at the time, was hospitalised but was recovering after surgery for wounds she sustained during the assault. Along with 47-year-old architect Jade Young, 30-year-old security guard Faraz Tahir, and 55-year-old artist and designer Pikria Darchia, Dawn Singleton, the 25-year-old daughter of multimillionaire businessman John Singleton, also perished in the attack. On Monday, Yixuan Cheng, a 27-year-old Chinese woman, was identified as the sixth victim.

The nine-month-old victim of Saturday's Bondi Junction attack is now considered "serious but stable," according to a statement made by NSW Health Minister Ryan Park to 2GB's Ray Hadley.

Sydney University is collaborating with the Chinese consulate and the family of a student who was stabbed to death in the Bondi Junction attack, according to vice chancellor Prof. Mark Scott. After Joel Cauchi, 40, brought a knife into the Westfield shopping centre and went on an unprovoked rampage, Yixuan Cheng, a Chinese national, was officially identified as one of the six victims who passed away from their wounds on Monday. The "senseless violence and loss of life that occurred" on Saturday afternoon, according to Scott, "shocked and saddened" staff and students, he wrote in an email on Monday.

Dear students and colleagues,  

 

Like you, I am shocked and saddened by the senseless violence and loss of life that occurred at Bondi Junction on the weekend. This morning, police confirmed that a University of Sydney student was one of the victims who died in this tragic incident. 

 

On behalf of the University, I extend my sincere condolences to the student’s family and friends. We are working closely with the Chinese consulate and the student's family to assist in any way we can. Police and the student’s family have asked that we do not release the student’s name at this stage.

I urge anyone who needs help to contact support services. Student Wellbeing services are free and confidential for all students and can be contacted 24/7.  

Our Employee Assistance Program offers 24/7 confidential counselling for staff and their families, and a dedicated support line will be made available for affected staff and will be communicated locally. 24-hour support is also available from Lifeline via text, online chat, or by calling 13 11 14.

This is a deeply distressing event, but I want to reassure you that this was an isolated incident and police have advised there is no ongoing danger.

Please take time today to check in on each other, this is a deeply distressing time for our community and I encourage you to look after each other and access the support available. 

Kind regards,

Mark

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As stated earlier, "the gender breakdown here is concerning," said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Additionally, NSW Police have stated that they are investigating that as part of this case.

Mr. Albanese told ABC Radio he spoke to several attack victims' families.

Well, the New South Wales Police have said they're looking at that as part of the investigation. The gender breakdown is, of course, concerning. Each and every victim here is mourned. This is, five of the names, of course, have been released and for their loved ones, our heart goes out to them today. I have spoken to some family members directly and this is a very distressing time, of course, for them. And as well, of course, we have the injured. Four people have been discharged from hospital overnight, but five remain in intensive care units in hospitals right across Sydney, one of those is in a critical condition. And we also pay thanks to the paramedics, the ambulance officers, the nurses and doctors and orderlies who provided support to no doubt save lives on Saturday evening and right through yesterday. And that ongoing support is there.

When asked, some suggested investigating whether the Bondi attacker used misogynist networks and forums. Do you think that should be investigated?

Well, all of that investigation will take place. It will be comprehensive and, nothing will not be looked at in this matter. I think the police have done an absolutely extraordinary job, the New South Wales Police, to get information out there very quickly at a time when there was some misinformation circulating as well. They got the information out there that there was a single perpetrator.

They identified very quickly, along with the assistance of the Australian Federal Police and the security agencies, including ASIO, that the person was not a person of interest and that it was not an act of terrorism. It was terrifying, but it wasn't ideologically-motivated terrorism. And so I think they did an extraordinary job. They should be, as I said, as early as Saturday night, they should be allowed to go about their important work in the professional way that they've shown. They certainly have not just the capability to do so, but we should be proud that we have police and agencies who are so professional, in amongst very difficult times, they have got that information to the public in a transparent way, in a very timely manner and they should be able to continue to do that.

Meanwhile, Chris Minns, NSW premier, commenced a presser by announcing that the Sydney Opera House will honour the victims of Saturday's stabbing attack. Minns also pledged $18m to the coroner's office to “establish an independent coronial inquiry” into the attack.

Minns expects the police to continue their investigation and has asked his cabinet and police about security guard restrictions in major crowded centres.

The killer did not appear to have interacted with the NSW mental health system since relocating from Queensland, according to Health Minister Ryan Park, who said the murderer had not "fallen through the cracks" in the system.

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