It was an ordinary day for shoppers at Sydney's Bondi Junction Westfield on April 13, 2024 before seven people were killed and 12 injured, including a nine-month-old girl.
Joel Cauchi, 40, stalked through the floors of the centre armed with a 30-centimetre knife, indiscriminately slashing at his victims.
His devastating rampage ended when a police officer shot him dead.
Tragically by that stage, he had already killed Dawn Singleton, 25, Ashlee Good, 38, Jade Young, 47, Pikria Darchia, 55, Yixuan Cheng, 27 and security guard Faraz Tahir, 30.
On Monday, a five-week-long inquest into the stabbings will commence at Lidcombe Coroners Court in Sydney's west.
"While this inquest will never give back what has been taken from you, it's my earnest hope that it will provide you with a better understanding of what happened," State Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan told families of the victims at a hearing in November.Â
At the inquest, she will examine Cauchi's background, including how police interacted with him during his largely transient lifestyle.
She will also look for any potential missteps in his mental health treatment after he was diagnosed with schizophrenia.
The response to the tragedy by security guards and the media will also be probed.
Ms O'Sullivan will then make findings at a later date about what happened and can suggest recommendations aimed at preventing similar events.
A memorial established at Bondi Junction ahead of the mass killing's anniversary earlier in April contained photographs and floral tributes to those who had died.
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