- Michele and Andrew Cauchi speak out about their son
- Couple's lives upended by son's murderous rampage
- READ MORE: Warped 'incel' posts are exposed celebrating Joel Cauchi's massacre
EXCLUSIVE
Joel Cauchi's parents have expressed their gratitude for the support of countless strangers since their schizophrenic son was shot dead after stabbing to death six people at Westfield Bondi Junction.
For the past two weeks Michele and Andrew Cauchi have been receiving cards and flowers from sympathetic Australians, many of whom have a family member suffering serious mental illness.
The couple's lives were upended when their 40-year-old son went on a rampage at the Sydney shopping centre on April 13 before he was stopped with three bullets to the chest fired by hero cop Inspector Amy Scott.
Those killed were: new mother Ashlee Good, 38, bride-to-be Dawn Singleton, 25, security guard Faraz Ahmed Tahir, 30, architect Jade Young, 47, artist Pikria Darchia, 55, and economics student Yixuan Cheng, 27.
A dozen other victims were taken to hospital including Ms Good's nine-month-old daughter Harriet.
Michele and Andrew Cauchi, the parents of Bondi Junction Westfield killer Joel Cauchi are pictured
Joel Cauchi is pictured (right) holding a knife while on his murderous rampage in Bondi Junction Westfield in Sydney
READ MORE: Police spoke to Bondi Junction Westfield killer months before the attack
Mass murderer Joel Cauchi is pictured
Cauchi's parents have been overwhelmed by waves of varying emotions since the carnage, devastated their son could become so unhinged he would turn into a multiple murderer.
'First of all, I feel for the victims,' Mrs Cauchi told Daily Mail Australia from her Toowoomba home on Friday. 'I don't want to take anything away from the victims.
'I'm so sorry about what has happened. Our son unravelled in the last few months and we didn't know.
'But I just want to say thank you to the people around Australia who have sent cards and letters.
'The majority of them have a family member with a mental illness.'
Mrs Cauchi said many of the notes she and her husband received did not have return addresses, so she could not respond to the senders.
'I'm just not in a state to answer them at this stage anyway,' she said. 'But I just wanted to say thank you, people have been very kind.'
Mr Cauchi said he and his wife had been sent so many flowers that when one 'lovely local girl' arrived with more he had not shown enough appreciation.
'We've been inundated with probably $2,000 worth of flowers,' Mr Cauchi said. 'And food and fruit and cards.'
Mr Cauchi said he was grateful for 'the compassion of this nation' but would be trying to cope with what his son had done 'for the next 40 years'.
'Joel deserves what he got as far as I'm concerned,' he said through tears.
His wife immediately responded: 'Shoosh, don't say that'.
'He's very upset,' Mrs Cauchi said.
'We didn't know he'd slipped so far. And even if we did know, what would we do?
'Take our adult child by force to come home and then what? Where would you take him? I'm sorry, it's just very difficult.
Police officer Amy Scott (pictured) prevented more carnage after she ran into a shopping centre and ended Joel Cauchi's rampage
'He did a terrible thing and I'm not denying that. I'm really sorry that it happened.'
Mrs Cauchi said NSW and Queensland police had been 'absolutely wonderful' in their dealings with the couple.
'Everybody has been really considerate,' she said. 'Regardless of what they might think about what happened they've been very kind.
'So I just wanted to say thank you.'
Bondi Junction Westfield massacre victim Ashlee Good, 38, is pictured
Bondi Junction Westfield massacre victim Dawn Singleton, 25, is pictured
Bondi Junction Westfield massacre victim Faraz Tahir, 30, is pictured
Bondi Junction Westfield massacre victim Pikria Darchia, 55, is pictured
Bondi Junction Westfield massacre victim Yixuan Cheng, 27, is pictured
Bondi Junction Westfield massacre victim Jade Young, 47, is pictured
