Hero security guard Faraz Tahir was excited about his first day on the job at the Bondi Junction Westfield hours before he was stabbed to death, his grieving family have revealed.
Mr Tahir, a 30-year-old refugee from Pakistan, was one of six killed by knifeman Joel Cauchi at the shopping complex in Sydney’s eastern suburbs on April 13, 2024.
Heartbreaking details have emerged of the final video call he made to loved ones back home shortly before going to work on that tragic day ahead of a coronial inquest into the massacre.
Mr Tahir’s family say he was very excited to be starting his new life in a country he described as safe and ‘very peaceful’.
‘That day … he was talking to the whole family on a video call in Pakistan, and he was dressed up, and he told us that he was preparing to go to a job,’ the family told Seven News.
‘He said it’s my first shift in Bondi Junction … and he was really excited.
‘He finally felt safe in Australia … he said ‘Australia is very beautiful, Australia is very exciting and very peaceful.’
The family are very proud of Mr Tahir’s actions, which saw him killed trying to stop Cauchi’s murderous rampage.
Hero security guard Faraz Tahir was excited about starting his new job as a security guard on the day he was one of six victims of a stabbing rampage, his family have revealed
‘He was serving as a security guard, and he went above and beyond … we definitely consider him a hero,’ the family told Seven news.
‘He did what he was meant to do to protect humanity.
‘And his sacrifice will make things better in future… to prevent these sorts of incidents happening again.’
Mr Tahir fled persecution in Pakistan before arriving in Australia in 2022.
He and colleague Muhammad Taha heard ‘people shouting and screaming’ while on their shift and ran towards the commotion.
Mr Taha told mourners farewelling Mr Tahir in April at a mosque in the north western Sydney suburb of Marsden Park that his colleague’s last words were ”let’s find out what’s going on’.
A member of the public places a flower at the memorial site for the Bondi Junction stabbing in the Westfield Shopping Centre where it occurred
Mr Taha said he was ‘two or three steps away’ from Mr Tahir when Cauchi ‘jumped towards him and he suddenly stabbed him’.
‘He just fell down,’ Mr Taha said.
‘I grabbed him and I pushed him towards the chairs and sofas in the café and I managed to lie him down.’
Cauchi then attacked Mr Taha, who didn’t realise he had been stabbed at first because he was looking after Mr Tahir.
Mr Tahir’s family said they believe he should have been equipped with more safety equipment and a means to defend himself beyond his bare hands.
‘Dealing with these sort of ad hoc incidents… they need to be provided some sort of special equipment, or protection,’ they said.
‘So they can at least protect themselves better… because he couldn’t defend himself.’
A directions hearing, ahead of a full coronial inquest, will be held on Tuesday morning, which has brought back painful memories for Mr Tahir’s family.
Mr Tahir was a refugee from Pakistan and described his new home Australia as ‘a very peaceful country’
‘It is an emotional time… to be going through it again,’ the family said.
‘The memories will come back.’
NSW coroner Teresa O’Sullivan will establish the details surrounding the seven deaths which including Cauchi, 40.
The inquest is set to go over evidence and hear from a handful of witnesses, which the family added is sure to bring back painful memories.
‘It is an emotional time… to be going through it again,’ they said.
‘The memories will come back.’
NSW Premier Chris Minns hopes the inquest will provide much needed answers for the victims’ families.
‘When you have such a horrifying crime and terrible tragedy, governments have got to learn and implement the changes as soon as possible,’ he told reporters on Monday.
Faraz Tahir’s brothers say the inquest will bring back painful memories for the family
Cauchi entered the shopping centre at about 3.20pm armed with a knife and began stabbing people at random.
NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott, who was in the shopping centre when the attack occurred, was first on the scene and followed behind Cauchi before ordering him to drop his weapon.
When he turned around and raised his knife, the officer shot and killed him.
Along with Mr Tahir five others were fatally stabbed Cheng Yixuan, 27, Pikria Darchia, 55, Dawn Singleton, 25, Jade Young, 47 and Ashlee Good, 38.
Ms Good’s nine-month-old daughter, who was sitting in her pram at the time of the attack, was also stabbed by Mr Cauchi.
The mother handed her injured baby to two strangers as she lay critically wounded.
The baby underwent emergency surgery and survived the attack.
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