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Misinformation concerning the identification of the attacker – as a Muslim or Jewish man – unfold broadly on-line earlier than police recognized the suspect.
Australians are mourning the deaths of 5 girls and a “brave” Pakistani safety guard killed in a knife assault at a Sydney buying centre.
Police mentioned on Sunday they’d not but confirmed any motivation or ideology behind the assaults in Sydney's Bondi Junction, however have been investigating whether or not the killer had intentionally focused girls.
Hypothesis concerning the attacker's identification as a Muslim or Jewish man unfold broadly on-line earlier than police recognized the suspected killer – Joel Cauchi, a white Christian man and an Australian citizen, who was the seventh particular person killed within the assault. Gone.
The 40-year-old suspect, from Queensland, was shot useless on the scene by a police officer after allegedly attacking him with a knife, police mentioned.
The 5 girls he allegedly murdered included Ashley Good, whose nine-month-old child was taken to hospital with stab wounds.
Good's household described him as an “glorious human being in each approach” and mentioned in an announcement Sunday that they have been nonetheless “recovering from the horrible loss.”
Her household additionally thanked the 2 individuals who “cared for our child when Ashley couldn't deal with it” and mentioned the nine-month-old is “at present doing nicely” after hours of surgical procedure.
Faraz Tahir, 30, a safety guard who lately moved to Australia fleeing persecution in Pakistan, was killed within the assault “whereas defending others”, Australia's Ahmadiyya Muslim Group mentioned in an announcement.
The assertion mentioned Tahir was a “revered member” of the Ahmadiyya Muslim group “recognized for his dedication and kindness” who got here to Australia looking for asylum a few yr in the past.
Eleven different individuals, together with 9 girls and two males, have been additionally taken to hospital with stab wounds, native police mentioned.
New South Wales (NSW) Police Commissioner Karen Webb instructed reporters on Sunday that the excessive variety of girls focused within the assaults was a part of their investigation.
'False claims and rumours'
The Australian Muslim Advocacy Community (AMAN) mentioned on Sunday that hypothesis “that the perpetrator was Muslim or Palestinian” emerged inside minutes, resulting in “anti-Muslim hatred” within the commentary of main Australian media retailers.
An article on one other Information Corp website remained on-line with the headline, “Was it a terrorist assault? The entire of Australia is asking questions on Sunday night time.
“The story that has emerged concerning the perpetrator being a special particular person with a Jewish title can be false,” Aman mentioned, including, “Our ideas are with the households of the victims and the kid who misplaced his mom. “.
Sarah Schwartz of the Jewish Council of Australia mentioned that “right-wing Islamophobic teams” “exploited this tragedy to advance their hateful agenda”.
“We should not enable this tragedy for use for political acquire or to advertise Islamophobia or anti-Semitism,” he mentioned.
Cameron Wilson, a reporter for Australian information outlet Crikey, mentioned that social media platform X “seems to be the engine room of many Bondi Junction false claims and rumours”.
Wilson mentioned in a publish on social media, “It’s appalling that whereas persons are premeditated and baselessly blaming immigration for the Bondi Junction assault, one of many victims was a refugee safety guard who was serving others. died.”
It was the deadliest assault in Australia since six individuals have been killed in December 2022, which police blamed on “Christian extremist ideology” Months later, Webb instructed reporters that police had discovered hyperlinks to Christian activism in Saturday's assault. Had refused.
Whereas there have been fewer mass shootings since Australia introduced in stricter gun legal guidelines following the 1996 Port Arthur mass capturing, one of many deadliest mass shootings in trendy historical past occurred almost 5 years in the past when an Australian gunman killed 51 individuals at two Christchurch mosques. Was murdered.
The variety of girls killed by males in Australia has been the topic of widespread protest in current months and years, with activist group Counting Useless Ladies saying the entire variety of Australian girls killed up to now in 2024 is about to rise with the homicide of 5 girls on Saturday. It's 23.