Police identified the suspect as 20-year-old Mert Ney[10][11][12][13] from Marayong, to the west of Sydney,[14][15] saying they believed he "attempted to stab multiple people, luckily unsuccessfully".[16][17] The police also told media that he had accessed information about recent mass killings,[14] and has a history of mental illness, for which he was known to police.[9] It has been reported but not confirmed that he absconded from a mental health facility a few days prior to the attack, and he appeared to be carrying a diazepam drug.[1]