The Sydney woman who police believe was the first victim of an alleged stabbing attack in the CBD yesterday has been described by a friend as "incredible".
Michaela Dunn, 24, from Sydney's inner west, was found with a laceration to her neck in a Clarence Street unit on Tuesday afternoon.
Mert Ney, 20, is accused of killing her before allegedly stabbing 41-year old Linda Bo at the Hotel CBD and wandering York Street with a knife. He was detained by members of the public.
Police believe Ney attended the Clarence Street apartment for "the purposes of prostitution", where Ms Dunn's body was later discovered.
Her mother, Joanne Dunn, told Nine she was a "beautiful girl from a beautiful family" and "very much loved".
She's been described by one friend as "incredible" and a "true delight".
"I've known this girl since she was just a kid in high school at 14. Her sister and I were together for 6 years, and Mikki was like my baby sister. I cannot describe how sad and how broken I am at this moment. I loved this kid. She was incredible," Joan A. Westenberg said on Twitter.
Ms Dunn, who was a former Rosebank College student and studied at the University of Notre Dame, also rallied against sexual violence in a Facebook post several years ago.
"Sexual violence and harassment is never acceptable. Take two minutes to read and sign this petition, it's such an important issue that needs to be addressed sooner than later," she wrote on a post in 2016.
A University of Notre Dame Australia spokesman said the community was "shocked and saddened" by the tragedy and extended its condolences to the 24-year-old's family and friends.
Australia's peak sex worker organisation and a NSW sex worker community group said in a joint statement they are "devastated" by the alleged "random and senseless acts of violence".
"Michaela Dunn was a woman, a community member, and a whole individual who will be missed and mourned," Scarlet Alliance, Australian Sex Workers Association and the NSW Sex Workers Outreach Project said in a statement.
"We offer the victim's family our deepest and most sincere condolences at this time. Our collective hearts are heavy."
Australian Muslim leader Mohamad Tawhidi also expressed his condolences.
"The nation is shocked and heartbroken. This could have happened to any one. RIP," Imam Tawhidi said on Facebook.
Homicide detectives are expecting to charge Ney with murder and serious assault.
Ney remains under police guard at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and is yet to be interviewed by police about the incident that brought the city's streets to a standstill.
