Bondi Junction massacre

[nicnacs_4u]

Approx 4.30pm a lone male went and stabbed 6 people to death at Bondi Junction shopping mall yesterday:-(

Another day to remember but for all the wrong reasons. What would make someone do this?

[sandypebbles]

It was certainly an odd way to put it the way he did 

Even more so the mother saying she was sorry for the people he 'hurt'

'Hurt'

Rather more serious than 'hurt' 

[springyzone]

I could be off target here but to me, he caused other people to feel terror but he was not a terrorist in the accepted short hand version of what people understand it to mean these days.

When they say-was it a terrorist attack? they usually mean was it associated with a known group or  idealogy or political stance.

In that sense, this man does not seem to have been part of any terrorist group. Which I guess is the good news.

[sandypebbles]

His actions were that of a terrorist and in my opinion that is exactly what he is

Just because he may not be of the usual 'bent'  that society associates with a terrorist (especially since 9/11) it is a title he deserves 

Goes for any mass murderer on a rampage , in my opinion 

[countessalmirena]

Killer / murderer is a title of such darkness and wickedness… This murderer (mentally ill though he clearly was) doesn’t need to be classed a terrorist or his actions classed as terrorism in order for him and his actions to be condemned unequivocally as evil and representing the the dregs of human behaviour. “Terrorist” isn’t a “worse than a murderer” label; it’s a specific class of murderer and in this case it doesn’t appear to apply.

Yea, the murderer did return to his parent’s home when imminently homeless, and wanted to bring his collection of knives to which his father said no. That is a flag… along with other things which he posted on social media.

Yes, the scoping out of the centre (and other centres) is indicative of planning.

The targeting of women - appalling. In my view, he had rage and hatred in his heart motivating him.

Apparently he was being weaned off his medication - initially under the supervision of his doctor. It seems he was no longer seeing a doctor when he moved to Sydney and I am presuming that he went abruptly off his medication at that time. The evidence available at the moment supports my presumption. It is hard to know what drove his treating doctor to consider the weaning off medication to be a satisfactory management of his mental health … but it is at least possible that the murderer resented having to take his medication and badgered his doctor into trying to wean off his prescription gradually to see how it went.

I think his parents are overwhelmed and distraught and don’t know what to say - especially his mother who appears to me to have trouble articulating her emotions.

In the end, this murderer didn’t kill - couldn’t have killed - due to suffering from schizophrenia. It didn’t happen in isolation. It was planned and targeted and bloody; there was far more behind it than his having schizophrenia.

All prayers and thoughts for the people whose loved ones have suffered such a senseless and undeserved loss.

[not_for_sale2025]

"In the end, this murderer didn’t kill - couldn’t have killed - due to suffering from schizophrenia. It didn’t happen in isolation. It was planned and targeted and bloody; there was far more behind it than his having schizophrenia".

That's a very bold conclusion. It will be interesting to see if the forensic psychiatrists who analyse and review this case agree with you.

[countessalmirena]

Yes, I’m sticking my neck out with this, but I stand ready to be corrected. I simply do not consider that it’s only his schizophrenia which caused him to kill. At the very least, the fact that he was taking crystal meth (allegedly) would have played a part - in my opinion.

If being schizophrenic were the sole cause in a murder of this sort (without any contributing factor), we’d really have a dilemma.

[not_for_sale2025]

Do you mean treated, or untreated schizophrenia? 

[countessalmirena]

In this case, it’s reported that the murderer had been under the care of a treating physician but that he had moved away and had not registered with a new GP. It’s stated that his treating doctor was weaning him off his medication and it is presumed (but not proven) that he’d abruptly stopped taking any prescribed medicine upon moving to Sydney. I am presuming that he was no longer seeking professional help in managing his schizophrenia.

It is generally acknowledged (and studies support) that there is a correlation between schizophrenia and violent behaviour, but not that “homicide risk is intrinsic to clinical manifestations of schizophrenia”. An important meta-analysis found a heterogeneity in rates of homicide by people with schizophrenia and this suggests that risk factors for homicide in the general community also affect those suffering from schizophrenia.

To be clear, my position is that it’s not only and solely schizophrenia which determined the murderer’s attack. I consider that there were other factors involved. The very fact that he targeted women is suggestive.

[not_for_sale2025]

Your quotes are interesting, but the offender was not included in any of the studies or text books you referred to. The official review will most certainly try to determine if he targeted women because of psychotic thinking. This incident was tragic and the mental health system must try to identify measures to better manage risk when such people are living in the community.

[domino-710]

Springy - I don't give a damn about the current terminology of ' terrorist '  - I'm interrested in the ' WORD '.

This person terrified people - that to me is a terrorist.

Forget the modern - have to be a gang member - a religious fanatic - a political activist - this guy ' terrorised '.

We are not in a court of law - the term can be use to describe actions. 

He was a terrorist - and - a killer.