The man who killed six people at a shopping mall in a Sydney suburb has been identified as 40-year-old Joel Cauchi, who was then shot dead by a responding New South Wales (NSW) Police Inspector Amy Scott.
Both the deceased suspect and the responding officer were identified by authorities shortly after the incident was put under control.
According to the Daily Mail, Scott responded to the knife attack alone, sprinting through the top level of Bondi Junction Westfield's shopping center on Saturday afternoon, local time (Apr. 13). Another shopper inside the mall also attempted to stop Cauchi from his rampage.
She eventually came face-to-face with Cauchi, who was brandishing what police said was a 30 cm knife. Witnesses said that Scott yelled at Cauchi to put the knife down, but the suspect lunged at her, forcing the officer to shoot him in the chest.
She then performed CPR on the killer in an attempt to arrest him alive while waiting for backup, while another person, identified by local media as a lifeguard, helped her apply first aid to the victims. Eventually, Cauchi and the six fatalities were pronounced dead at the scene.
The Australian state's Police Minister Yasmin Catley also spoke with Scott immediately after the knife attack, labeling her as a "humble" officer who also credited other bystanders who assisted her in responding to the bloodbath.
"I thanked her on behalf of the government and the people of New South Wales for her courage," she told reporters. "She was so humble."
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb also commended Scott for "'doing well under the circumstances," praising her "enormous courage and bravery" while mentioning several of her past actions.
However, the chief of the Police Association of New South Wales, Kevin Morton, told reporters on Monday (Apr. 15) that Scott was "content" with her actions and did not consider herself to be a hero despite public perception and an earlier mention by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
"Amy is content with what she had to do," Morton said. "I spoke to her last night and again this morning, and she said, 'It was a night with not a lot of sleep.'"
"She knows she has been tagged a hero, but to her, she was doing her job," the police union boss added.
After the shooting, Inspector Scott underwent a gun-residue test and was separated from other officers before a colleague drove her home.
She would eventually be formally interviewed as part of the investigation into the knife attack.
"I didn't ask her about the exact incident because she has yet to be formally interviewed," Morton added. "Everyone will be keeping an eye on her, obviously, and there will be a lot of support from everyone."
Some social media users also showed concern for Scott's wellbeing.
"While throwing words like 'hero' around, remember, the taking of a life will change hers as well," one person wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "Heroes can be victims too. Let's hope she gets every bit of support needed."
Webb further revealed that she also spoke with Scott following the stabbings.
"She showed enormous courage and bravery, and she will obviously process that," she said. "She will need to be interviewed formally and so we just talked about that she's OK and that her family's OK."
