In a tragic incident in Sydney, a stabbing attack occurred in a shopping center, resulting in the death of a man who was understood to be a security guard, and injuring several others including a baby girl. Two of the victims were visiting Australia from overseas and had no family in the country. Investigators are looking into the high proportion of female victims as a line of inquiry. One witness described the harrowing scene of the baby being stabbed, and the mother throwing the baby toward him for help.
The baby daughter of one of the victims, Ashlee Good, who was stabbed in the attack, remains in a serious but stable condition at Sydney Children’s Hospital. Good, who often shared pictures of her young family and reflections on motherhood, was remembered by friends and family as a beautiful mother, daughter, sister, partner, and friend. Good’s family expressed gratitude towards the two men who assisted the baby when she could not, and provided an update that the baby was doing well after surgery.
High-profile defamation lawyer Rebekah Giles, a close friend of Good, was with her before the attack and rushed back to support her after hearing about the chaos in the shopping center. Friends and loved ones have been paying tribute to Good on social media, remembering her as a kind, loving, and grateful individual. Bondi Rescue lifeguard Andy Reid, who knew Good, shared his devastation at the loss, highlighting Good’s dream of being a mother being tragically taken away.
Good’s father, Kerry Good, a former Australian rules footballer, spoke about the tragic loss of his daughter and granddaughter, expressing condolences to all those impacted by the events. The North Melbourne community also mourned the loss of Ashlee Good, with the football club planning to wear black armbands in their match in her memory. Good, who had recently returned from maternity leave to her job at DocuSign, had spoken about the privilege of becoming a parent and the special time she had spent with her child.
Good had previously worked as an osteopath in Queensland and at Bondi Junction, and had recently experienced the transformative journey of motherhood. In social media posts, she described the surreal experience of becoming a new version of herself as a mother, filled with love, happiness, fears, and a sense of a new world. Assistant Police Commissioner Anthony Cooke urged respect for the privacy of the victims’ families amidst the tragedy. Support services such as Lifeline and Beyond Blue were provided for those in need of help or assistance during this difficult time.
