IRIA News

A bishop and a priest were wounded during a stabbing attack at the church in Sydney as horrified worshippers watched online and in person. Two days earlier, a knife-wielding man killed six people in a mall in the Australian city of Sydney while injuring several others.

The first incident took place at Sydney’s crowded Westfield Bondi Junction when 40-year-old Joel Cauchi sent the people into a panic on Saturday as he began stabbing people with a long sharp blade. Five women and a man died while several others, including a baby, were injured.

The police arrived at the scene shortly after Cauchi had killed and injured several people. New South Wales Police Inspector Amy Scott fatally shot Cauchi on the spot. According to Queensland Police, Cauchi had been on their radar before, but he had never faced arrest or charges in his home state of Queensland. He had been changing states for several years and received his first diagnosis of mental illness at the age of 17.

His family described his actions as “horrific” and said he had had mental health issues “since he was a teenager”, in a statement released through Queensland Police one day after the incident. The Cauchi family said: “We are absolutely devastated by the traumatic events that occurred in Sydney yesterday.”

The identities of the six individuals tragically lost in the attacks have been confirmed. Among them were Yixuan Cheng, a 27-year-old Chinese international student at the University of Sydney; Pikria Darchia, aged 55; Faraz Tahir, a 30-year-old security guard; Ashlee Good, who heroically lost her life while shielding her baby from the attacker; Dawn Singleton, the 25-year-old daughter of Australian tycoon John Singleton; and Jade Young, aged 47.

The Chinese embassy in Australia released a statement on the incident that resulted in the death of Yixuan Cheng, saying “We are deeply shocked and saddened by the unfortunate death of one Chinese student and the serious injury of another.”

“We extend our deep condolences to the victims and our heartfelt sympathies to their families, and wish early recovery to the injured.”

“Like you, I am shocked and saddened by the senseless violence and loss of life that occurred at Bondi Junction on the weekend,” vice-chancellor and president of the University of Sydney Mark Scott said in a statement.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also released a statement regarding the incident saying that Australians were “waking up to try to deal with the shock and trauma” of what had happened. Describing the attack as “unspeakable and just beyond comprehension”, Albanese praised the actions of a lone senior policewoman who confronted the attacker and shot him dead as horror gripped the mall.

This morning across Australia, flags are flying half-mast in honour of the victims of the Bondi Junction attack.

We grieve together, as one. pic.twitter.com/Q2HVV4AEqB

— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) April 15, 2024

“The wonderful inspector who ran into danger by herself and removed the threat that was there to others, without thinking about the risks to herself,” the prime minister said, thanking her and the emergency teams.

Authorities reported that nine individuals were hospitalized following the stabbings, with an additional three seeking medical care overnight. Approximately 40 paramedics were engaged in the initial response effort. The shopping center situated in Sydney’s upscale eastern area remained closed following the incident, while forensic investigators meticulously examined the scene.

Stabbing in Church

Two days after the stabbing incident took place at the mall, a teenager carried out a separate stabbing attack at Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Southern Sydney that injured Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel and a priest. Both are expected to survive.

At around 7 P.M. on April 15, 2024, a teenager wearing a black hoodie approached bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel who was presiding over a service in an Orthodox church. The boy proceeded to stab the bishop multiple times. The police apprehended the 16-year-old boy following the stabbing incident.

Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel boasts a significant social media following, and the service was broadcast live on the church’s widely followed YouTube channel. A large number of social media audiences witnessed distressing footage of the attack in real-time or shortly thereafter, as it was swiftly shared across platforms.

Scores of individuals gathered in the vicinity of the church shortly after the attack, leading to a riot that resulted in two police officers being hospitalized with severe injuries. Paramedics found themselves confined within the church premises for over three hours, facing direct threats from the crowd.

In response to the escalating situation, the state’s premier convened an emergency council comprising religious leaders, urging for calm and solidarity.

Ordained by the Assyrian Orthodox Church in 2011, Emmanuel is seen as a popular but controversial figure. His sermons have received millions of views on social media and he is widely known for his controversial stance on Islam and Muslims. He has previously criticized Islam and the prophet Muhammad in sermons shared widely online.