- Six people stabbed to death in Bondi Junction
- One victim was due to get married in the coming months.
A young woman who died in the horror stabbing in Bondi Junction bought her wedding dress just a few days ago.
Dawn Singleton, 25, daughter of billionaire advertising guru John Singleton, was due to marry her high school sweetheart, New South Wales police officer Ashley Wildey, in the coming months.
Last week, she purchased her wedding dress and started sending “save the date” invitations to her loved ones and friends ahead of the special day.
But her life was tragically cut short, along with those of five other shoppers, when Joel Cauchi, 40, stabbed her at Bondi Junction Westfield on Saturday afternoon.
Known affectionately as Dawnie, the 25-year-old is one of Singleton’s three daughters from his marriage to Julie Martin. She has eight children in total.
John Singleton’s daughter Dawnie, 25, has been named among six people killed by knife attacker Joel Cauchi in Bondi Junction Westfield on Saturday.
Dawn is the eldest of three daughters of John Singleton and his ex-wife Julie Martin (the couple pictured above)
Ms Singleton was the second victim of the horrific attack identified after it was revealed that osteopath and new mother Ashlee Good, 38, had died in hospital on Saturday night.
Good’s nine-month-old daughter was also injured in the attack and is in serious but stable condition after undergoing emergency surgery overnight.
Double Bay architect and mother of two Jade Young was identified as the third victim of Sunday’s attack.
Police were called to the shopping area at 3.20pm when Cauchi, brandishing a large hunting knife, chased men, women and children.
Footage posted online showed terrified shoppers running outside to escape or taking shelter in stores as a siren blared downtown, urging shoppers to evacuate.
Inspector Amy Scott was patrolling nearby and was the first to arrive at the scene. She entered the shopping center alone and bravely ran towards the offender, before shooting him dead when he lunged at her with the knife.
Five other people, including Mrs Singleton, Mrs Young, two other women and a man in his 30s, died at the scene.
Joel Cauchi from Queensland is pictured carrying a 30cm hunting knife on the escalator inside the Westfield shopping center in Bondi Junction on Saturday afternoon.
Twelve other people, including Mrs Good, her nine-month-old son, eight other women and two men, who suffered stab wounds, were treated by paramedics and taken to various Sydney hospitals.
Some have since been discharged, while others remain in serious condition.
Deputy Commissioner Cooke said there were also other people who were injured in the attack and who left Westfield and later reported to medical facilities.
Addressing reporters on Sunday, New South Wales Police Commissioner Karen Webb said it would take time to formally identify some of the victims of Saturday’s attack as their relatives reside overseas.
Cauchi has since been identified as a Queensland man who moved to Sydney in recent months.
He suffered from schizophrenia and lived a transient lifestyle, and police treated the tragedy as a mental health incident.
The shopping center and surrounding streets will remain closed on Sunday, as police continue to search the crime scene for forensic evidence.
Police launched a critical incident team made up of homicide detectives and created Strike Force Mcauley to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The investigation will also be subject to independent review.
As investigations continue, any witnesses, anyone with information or mobile phone vision who has not already spoken to police is asked to call police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.