As Australia reels from the Bondi attack, such mass murder incidents remain rare

There are few scenes more shocking than random acts of extreme violence against people simply going about their daily lives. Yet this is what Australians are coming to terms with after a man went on a rampage through a Bondi shopping centre on Saturday afternoon, killing six people and injuring at least 12 others, including a baby. The attacker was also killed at the scene.

Police have named the attacker as 40-year-old Joel Cauchi, who was originally from Queensland and had a history of mental health issues.

There are many questions yet to be answered about the attack. But cases of mass murder are so shocking in part because they are relatively rare in Australia.