Key Points
- Six died and six remain in hospital after Joel Cauchi, 40, went on a stabbing spree at Westfield Bondi Junction on 13 April.
- Mourners gathered at Bondi Beach on Sunday evening for a vigil.
- Plans are in place for a permanent memorial to honour the victims.
Hundreds of mourners gathered for a candlelight vigil at Bondi Beach on Sunday to grieve at the Bondi Junction shopping centre last weekend.
As the vigil continued, the grieving crowd kept growing.
The pavilion's flag flew at half mast as the crowd filed in, some wearing black ribbons in mourning, many opting for a seat on the grass hill rather than the plastic chairs closer to the stage.
Several attended a candlelight vigil for victims of the Bondi stabbing attack on Sunday. Source: AAP / Mark Baker/AP
They were joined by Waverley mayor Paula Masselos and federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton among other dignitaries.
It will take time for the Waverley community to come to terms with the events, Masselos said. "We are all in mourning ... but let me say this - our spirit must not and will not be diminished," she said.
The vigil was held as a nine-month-old baby was released from hospital on Sunday, more than a week after being wounded in the stabbing attack on 13 April.
The baby will continue to receive care from clinicians after being discharged from Sydney Children's Hospital, but has been allowed to go home, NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said on Sunday.
Six people died, including the baby's mother, Ashlee Good, and five remain in hospital after went on the stabbing spree at Westfield Bondi Junction in Sydney's eastern suburbs on 13 April.
Family and friends of the Bondi attack victims were among those gathered at the candlelight vigil. Source: AAP / Dean Lewins
Faraz Tahir, a 30-year-old refugee who fled persecution in Pakistan, was also killed.
At least 12 others — including nine women — were taken to hospital after suffering stab wounds in the attack.
The overwhelming proportion of women among the victims has prompted the nation's leaders to call for men to take a central role in addressing violent behaviours and attitudes.
Minns said the exact motives behind the attack might never be known, but everyone should have the right to feel safe.
"We will not be a state where a woman is forced to change her behaviour," he said.
The vigil offered a chance to grieve for the victims, and for those left behind to begin coming to terms with the hole left in their lives where their loved ones should be, Albanese said.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was among the dignitaries who lit candles at a vigil at Bondi Beach. Source: AAP / Dean Lewins
NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott, who brought an end to the rampage when she shot Cauchi on level five of the shopping centre, watched on as Albanese praised her courage in responding to danger.
The vigil came after the Westfield Bondi Junction shopping centre re-opened for trade on Friday, and carried the same eerie silence that fell over the usually bustling shopping centre during a day of community reflection on Thursday.
Inspector Amy Scott (centre) joined crowds at the vigil. Source: AAP / Dean Lewins
"I would be happy to support anything at all that sees the incidence reduced, that sees women and children growing up in a safer environment," he told ABC's Insiders program.
"There are a number of factors, and I don't think there is any one solution here, but again, I think social media has a role to play here.
"The computer games young boys are playing where violence is a very significant part of what's being enforced into their minds on a regular basis."
Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said tougher penalties on knife offences might be considered among states and territories but hosed down calls for security guards to be armed.
"We need to be careful not to overreact to these things, and we don't want to see our shopping centres become sort of armed places where people feel on edge," he told Sky News on Sunday.
"But you can't have events like the last week occur and not rethink what might be needed."
Mourners light their candles at a candlelight vigil at Sydney's Bondi Beach on Sunday. Source: AAP / Mark Baker/AP
A major coronial inquiry will focus on NSW's mental health funding and support adequacy.
Bolstered by up to $18 million in extra funding, the inquiry will examine the police response and Cauchi's interactions with NSW and Queensland agencies.
Readers seeking support with mental health can contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. More information is available at
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