Long-time criminal Yacqub Khayre is the terrorist behind the deadly Melborne siege that claimed the life of an innocent apartment clerk.
The Somalian-born man (29) had served jail time over a violent burglary in 2012 and was on parole at the time of Monday's siege, Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said.
Comm Ashton said he had been on parole since being released from prison last November and "there was nothing wrong with his parole until yesterday."
Khayre also spent 16 months on remand before being acquitted of the 2009 Holsworthy army barracks terror plot in Sydney.
He lived in the Melbourne suburb Roxburgh Park with his mother and police will search their home on Today, as well as continue work at the Bay St serviced apartment block.
Islamic State has claimed responsibility for Monday's incident, but Comm Ashton downplayed their statement.
"We're aware of, online, them having claimed responsibility, but then they always tend to jump up and claim responsibility every time something happens," he told reporters.
Police shot dead Khayre as he stormed out of the Bay St, Brighton serviced apartment building shortly before 6pm and began firing.
Two officers - including one with wounds to his face and neck - were taken to hospital while a third was treated at the scene.
A female escort held hostage was rescued from the ground floor apartment.
Officers had earlier found the body of a clerk, an Australian national born in China, in the foyer.
"He appears to (have been) in the wrong place at the wrong time," Comm Ashton said.
He said it was too early to know what Khayre had been planning, but said it was a "possibility" that he wanted to ambush police.
"That's all been weighed into the calculations but we haven't found anything like a note or anything like that so far."
DECADE OF CRIME
Yacqub Khayre had an extensive criminal history including violent offences and drug abuse.
2007
APRIL
The teenager was sentenced to two years' detention in a Youth Justice Centre for somewhere between 42 and 45 offences. Charges including multiple burglaries and thefts, assault, providing a false name and address, drug possession, car theft and unlicensed driving at dangerous speeds.
JUNE
While still incarcerated he was sentenced for attempted armed robbery and intentionally causing injury after stabbing a man on a train twice in the leg, demanding the victim's money and phone.
2008
FEBRUARY
Released on an adjourned undertaking on single charges of burglary and theft.
2010
DECEMBER
After a six-month trial, Khayre was cleared by a jury over his alleged role in planning the 2009 Holsworthy army barracks terror plot in western Sydney. Wissam Mahmoud Fattal, Saney Edow Aweys, Nayev el Sayed were jailed in 2011 for a maximum of 18 years for planning a terrorist act to kill as many people as possible in a mass shooting at the army base.
2011
NOVEMBER
Sentenced to 111 days in jail for the possession of a firearm and ammunition without a licence, one charge of car theft and failure to answer bail.
2012
APRIL
A drug affected Khayre breaks into a Melbourne family home in an attempted armed burglary. He is confronted by a woman, who he strikes repeatedly in the face, back, shoulder and stomach in a bid to escape. He pleads guilty to five charges and is sentenced to a maximum of five-and-a-half years.
2016
DECEMBER
Khayre is released on parole.
2017
JUNE
While on parole, Khayre shot an apartment clerk dead and took a female escort hostage in a Brighton apartment building. While trying to escape he fired at police, injuring three of them before being killed in a hail of bullets.
