Bondi Junction shopping centre has opened its doors for a day of reflection after the stabbing massacre which left six people dead and 12 others in hospital.
NSW Premier Chris Minns and Police Commissioner Karen Webb on Thursday morning toured the eerily quiet shopping centre
Shops remained closed but members of the public have been invited into the centre for a day of reflection.
It was hoped the event would mark a beginning for the healing process, said Kellie Sloane, the State member for Vaucluse, who was visiting with NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman.
“This place is at the heart of our community,” she told The Nightly.
“It’s where we come to shop, to buy birthday presents and gather with our friends, which many were doing on Saturday when this horror unfolded.
“We hope that by being here today and having this gentle, quiet reopening, it gives people a chance to begin to recover and to heal.”
Six people were killed and at least 12 injured when mentally ill Joel Cauchi, 40, launched his knife frenzy on Saturday afternoon in the packed shopping centre.
The Queensland man, who had a long history of mental illness, was shot dead by police inside the shopping complex.
The Scentre Group, which owns and operates the shopping centre, said there would be no retail trade but shops would open for business on Friday with an increased police and security presence.