Achi news desk-
Perth’s Muslim community has raised concerns about the behavior of an “extremist” 16-year-old high school student before he allegedly stabbed a man in a car park.
Police said the boy stabbed a stranger in the back, leaving him hospitalized in a serious condition, outside Bunnings on High Road in Wilton after 10pm yesterday.
Police shot and killed the boy, who they said was armed with a 30-centimeter kitchen knife, in the confrontation.
The boy was a student at Rossmoyne High School.
In an email to parents and carers, school principal Alan Brown confirmed that he had died in the incident.
“We recognize and respect the family’s right to privacy… our thoughts are with them and their friends during this difficult time,” he wrote.
The WA Department of Education said the school would provide extra support to the students, who were trying to cope with an unimaginable tragedy.
The Commissioner of Police, Colonel Blanche, said that the boy was Caucasian, converted to Islam and has “mental health problems and extreme problems”.
According to him, the boy participated in a program to combat extremism in online violence – in which seven young people and almost a dozen adults are monitored.
Members of the Muslim community also contacted police and raised concerns about his behavior before the alleged attack last night, Premier Roger Cook said.
“There are signs that he has been radicalized online,” he said.
“We also want to remind that Islam has nothing to do with any acts of violence that are done in its name. Islam is a religion that literally means peace,” he said today at a press conference.
Blanche said the boy called Three Zero at about 10:10 p.m. and told them he planned to commit “acts of violence.”
According to him, a second triple zero call was made by a member of the public who allegedly saw the boy running around the parking lot brandishing a knife.
“When he was chasing the police car, he was holding (the knife) in his waist area and when he was running towards the police car he was obviously holding it in the air,” witness John Chee told 9News.
The police said that they tried to get the boy to drop the knife and deployed two Tasers when he did not comply.
“The man continued to advance towards the third policeman with the weapon, who fired a single shot and mortally wounded the man,” said Blanche.
The police commissioner defended the officer’s actions and said that he acted professionally.
“I saw the video that was worn on the body. I am comfortable with the police’s approach, they did their job,” he said.
The victim, about 30 years old, is now in a stable condition in the hospital
Authorities assured the community that the boy acted alone and there is no ongoing threat to the public.
In response to the incident, Cook convened an emergency meeting with ministers, the police commissioner and multi-religious leaders, which took place today.
In a statement about the incident today, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that “there is no place for violent extremism in Australia”.
“My thoughts are with those affected by the incident,” he said.
“I have also been briefed on the situation by the Director General of ASIO and the AFP Commissioner, and am informed that there is no ongoing threat to the community on the information available.”
