Families scarred, lives lost: Victims of the Bondi Junction attack remembered

The sixth victim of Saturday’s rampage has now been identified. Yixuan Cheng, a Chinese national who was studying in Australia, is the sixth fatality in the stabbing attack to be named. Police were on Sunday trying to contact her family overseas. A fuller picture of the lives taken at Bondi Junction on Saturday is emerging. Joel Cauchi killed five women and one man in the busy shopping centre and put an additional 12 people, including a baby, in hospital. The six people Cauchi killed have now been identified as of Monday morning. They are: Yixuan Cheng 27, Dawn Singleton, 25, Faraz Ahmed Tahir, 30, Ashlee Good, 38, Jade Young, 47, and Pikria Darchia, 55. Hero police officer Amy Scott shot Cauchi dead at the scene. Yixuan Cheng, 27 The University of Sydney student was engaged and studying a master’s degree in economics. Chinese news service Sydney Today reports Ms Cheng had called her fiancee from the shopping centre to show him clothes she wanted to buy. Not long after hanging up, the man received news there had been an attack in Sydney, and repeated calls to Ms Cheng went unanswered. He said NSW Police and the Chinese consulate in Sydney sent a photo of the bag his fiancee was carrying at the time she was attacked. It contained her ID and phone number. An email sent to The University of Sydney staff and students, seen by NewsWire, says “we are working closely with the Chinese consulate and the student’s family to assist in any way we can”. “Like you, I am shocked and saddened by the senseless violence and loss of life that occurred at Bondi Junction on the weekend,” the email reads. Dawn Singleton, 25 Dawn Singleton was engaged to marry a NSW police officer later this year, The Daily Telegraph reports. She is the daughter of highly successful Australian businessman John Singleton and lawyer Julie Martin. Faraz Ahmed Tahir, 30 Security guard and former refugee Faraz Ahmed Tahir is the lone male victim to have been killed. He was at work when he was attacked and succumbed to his injuries. A member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Australia, the community said in a statement that Mr Tahir was known for his “unwavering dedication and kindness”. Mr Tahir arrived in Australia about a year ago from Sri Lanka via the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees from Pakistan, where his parents still live. The Ahmadiyya community is a sect of Islam, but Ahmadis face persecution for their religion in Muslim-majority countries like Algeria, Malaysia and Pakistan. Under the Pakistani constitution, the community is declared non-Muslims, has been subject to violent attacks, and is not allowed to vote due to their religious beliefs. “Faraz was not only a valued member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Australia but also actively contributed to the charitable endeavours of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth organisation,” the Australian religious group’s statement said. Ashlee Good, 38 Ashlee Good and her nine-month-old daughter Harriet were both stabbed during the attack. Ms Good died of her injuries but not before she handed her baby to two men to try to save the infant. Ms Good’s family have thanked the public for the messages of support and the two men, saying the nine-month-old is recovering after surgery. “After hours of surgery yesterday our baby is currently doing well,” the family said in a statement. The family was grateful for the expert care at Sydney Children’s Hospital. “To the two men who held and cared for our baby when Ashlee could not – words cannot express our gratitude. “We are struggling to come to terms with what has occurred. We would appreciate peace and privacy while we work through this as a family,” the statement reads. Jade Young, 47 Bellevue Hill woman and architect Jade Young, 47, has been confirmed as one of the six people who died on Saturday. The mother-of-two was a beloved member of the Bronte Surf Life Saving Club and long-time employee at a Double Bay architect firm. In response to the tragedy, the eastern Sydney surf club issued a Facebook post cancelling their weekly Sunday Sips event. “This is and will be a difficult time for the community, and we encourage you to seek support from family, friends, fellow club members or to speak to your GP to assist you in processing this tragedy,” the post read. “We are here to support the community, and our heartfelt condolences go out to everyone affected.” Pikria Darchia, 55 The 55-year-old Bondi Junction woman was murdered in the rampage. Her family has requested privacy at this time. 24/7 SUPPORT LINES