Six people who died in a stabbing mass murder at a Sydney shopping centre have been remembered at a candlelight vigil as a community vows not to forget Australia’s worst mass killing in years.
Hundreds attended the candlelight vigil at Bondi Beach as night fell on Sunday, eight days since Sydney was shaken by a terrifying half-hour in which a man rampaged through a shopping centre armed with a knife, killing six and badly injuring a dozen others.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Vigil for Bondi Junction.
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The harrowing week that followed left hearts heavy with grief and souls burdened by sorrow, Waverley Mayor Paula Masselos said.
The attack at Westfield Bondi Junction on April 13 was unfathomable, she said.
“We are all in mourning … but let me say this — our spirit must not and will not be diminished,” Masselos 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, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
“We keep this vigil for them — to honour all they were, to pay respect to all they meant,” he said.
A local brass band played as mourners filed in, while a choir sang Amazing Grace after a minute’s silence.
The vigil followed the news that a nine-month-old baby wounded in the attack had been discharged from hospital.
Six people were killed in the tragedy: Ashlee Good, 38, Dawn Singleton, 25, Jade Young, 47, Pikria Darchia, 55, Yixuan Cheng, 27, and Faraz Tahir, 30.
Five others remained in hospital on Sunday.
NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott has been hailed a hero for ending 40-year-old Joel Cauchi’s rampage when she shot him on level five of the complex as shoppers fled.
Up to $18 million in additional funding has been allocated for a coronial inquiry, with mental health funding and support to be examined.
The Bondi Junction shopping centre re-opened for trade on Friday following a day of community reflection on Thursday.
A temporary floral tribute remains in place at nearby Oxford St Mall.
A formal memorial service will be held at a later date, with plans for a permanent memorial to honour the victims.