Confronting footage has emerged of a ‘radicalised’ teen lunging at police with a knife before he was shot dead- as the boy’s final message to friends is revealed.
CCTV from a nearby Korean restaurant, shows the 16-year-old boy chasing after a police car as it entered a car park in Willetton in Perth on Saturday night.
WA Police were called to the carpark outside Bunnings just after 10pm after reports the teen had stabbed a man not known to him in the back.
CCTV showed police confronting and surrounding the teen as they begged him to drop the weapon.
The teen was seen standing a short distance away from about four police as blue and red lights flash off the rain-soaked carpark.
He was unsuccessfully tasered by two officers, before he lunged at a third, who fatally shot him.
Terrifying footage has emerged of a ‘radicalised’ teen lunging at police with a knife before he was shot dead
Police were called to the car park shortly after 10pm on Saturday night
READ MORE: ‘Radicalised’ teenager is shot dead by police after knife rampage
A man in his 30s, who was not known to the teenager, was taken to hospital in a serious condition with back injuries
Earlier in the night, the teen had warned friends that he was ‘going on the path of jihad’.
The message, sent to several people on social media, prompted a wave of calls to police about the boy’s actions, The West Australian reported.
‘Brothers please forgive me for any time I have wronged you, I am going on the path of jihad tonight for the sake of Allah,’ the boy wrote.
‘I am a soldier of the mujahideen of Al-Qaeda and take responsibility for the actions that will … take place tonight.’
The message is littered with praise for Allah.
‘If you have any illegal on jihadi things online or in real life please make sure to hide them well and clear your technology such as laptops and phones including search history in … as the police will likely look into my contacts,’ he wrote.
‘I love you all.
‘Please don’t forget me and the mujahideen in your duat (afterlife).’
The message ended with There is no need to reply to this text’.
The principal of the teen’s former high school warned parents to be aware of ‘misinformation or inappropriate comments’.
An email was sent to parents on Sunday afternoon offering support after the news broke that a student from the school was shot dead by police.
The principal also urged parents should be cautious of letting their children gather to discuss the ordeal and express their feelings without a responsible adult present.
WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said the teen did not comply and rushed at officers prompting them to deploy their tasers before third officer discharged a single shot.
CCTV from a nearby restaurant showed the moments before teen shot by police
The teen had called police at 10.10pm without identifying himself to say he was ‘going to commit acts of violence’ before hanging up the phone.
Police said the teen was among ‘three of four’ participants of an official deradicalisation program for those exhibiting behaviours that might be religious or issues motivated since 2022.
Commissioner Blanch said the boy was known to police, had mental health issues, and appeared to have been radicalised online.
‘Members of the WA Muslim community contacted police, also calling triple-0, just prior to the incident with their concerns,’ he said.
‘I do want to thank members of the Muslim community who did that because that enabled us to identify rapidly who this individual was and respond as quick as we did,’ he said.
The Imam of Perth’s largest mosque, the Nasir Mosque, Imam Syed Wadood Janud condemned the attack in the strongest terms.
‘The whole community is shook, and we are all concerned regarding the perpetrators’ online radicalisation that early reports are hinting towards,’ he said.
‘There is no place for violence in Islam. We appreciate the effort of the police to keep our communities safe. I also want to commend the local Muslim community who had flagged the individual prior with the police.’
The teen had reportedly converted to Islam.
Commissioner Blanch said the incident had the ‘hallmarks’ of a terrorist incident, but would not label it as such ‘at this stage’.
‘I believe this is a person acting alone. I don’t need additional capability at this time whilst it meets the criteria, or at least the definition,’ Commissioner Blanch said.
‘It would be too early for me to act now, because I don’t have the concerns of a broader network that might be involved at this stage.’
WA Police were called to the carpark outside Bunnings Willetton on just after 10pm, where they found a teen armed with a 30cm kitchen knife
WA Premier Roger Cook said there were indications the boy had been radicalised online.
The 16-year-old boy had previously been involved in a countering violent extremism program since 2022, with support from psychologists and faith leaders.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said intelligence and security officers did not believe there was an ongoing threat.
‘I have received a briefing on the situation by the ASIO Director-General and the AFP Commissioner, and I’m advised there is no ongoing threat to the community on the information available,’ he said.
‘We are a peace-loving nation and there is no place for violent extremism in Australia.’
A man aged in his 30s, who was found close by with a stab wound and a punctured lung, had reportedly been leaving a 24-hour gym in the complex at the time of the attack.
He was treated at the scene by St John Ambulance WA and transported to Royal Perth Hospital where he remains in a serious but stable condition.
More than 30 police vehicles rushed to Bunnings (pictured) car park on High Street in Willetton, south Perth , about 10pm on Saturday following reports of a stabbing
