Bondi Junction Attack: Why the CCTV Control Room Was Empty

An inquest has begun into the April 13, 2024 mass stabbing at Westfield Bondi Junction, where Joel Cauchi killed six people and injured ten. It was revealed that at the time of the attack, no one was monitoring the CCTV control room — the male officer was at training and the female officer had stepped away for a toilet break. In just under two minutes, Cauchi fatally stabbed multiple victims before CCTV monitoring resumed.

Further findings include:

• Communication breakdown between security and emergency services delayed response.
• No alarm was activated until 3.39pm, well after the attack began.
• Cauchi, diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2001, had stopped taking medication in 2019 without a treatment plan after moving to Brisbane.
• Despite disturbing online searches about mass killings, authorities were unaware of his mental deterioration.
• In 2021, a psychiatrist had deemed Cauchi “fit and proper” to handle firearms, though he never acquired one.
• Investigators found no evidence that Cauchi specifically targeted women, despite most victims being female.
• Inspector Amy Scott shot Cauchi dead minutes after the attack began.

The victims included Dawn Singleton, Jade Young, Yixuan Cheng, Ashlee Good, Pakria Darchia, and security guard Faraz Tahir.

Coroner Teresa O’Sullivan is overseeing the inquest, aiming not to assign blame, but to ensure lessons are learned to prevent future tragedies. Victims’ families have shown mixed feelings about revisiting the traumatic events, though most support the inquest.