The “radicalised” teen who was shot by police after he stabbed a man in a Perth Bunnings carpark had reportedly attempted to indoctrinate other students at his high school.
The 16-year-old boy had spent more than two years in a “deradicalisation” program after he was radicalised online, and reportedly converted to Islam.
He’d been known to police since the age of 14, and had mental health issues.
Police found the teenager at the carpark at Willetton Bunnings at about 10.15pm Saturday night, and were forced to shoot the boy, after they were unable to stop him with police Tasers.
The man who was stabbed remains at Royal Perth Hospital in a stable condition.
As reported by The West Australian, one parent from the teen’s school, Perth’s prestigious Rossmoyne Senior High School, said a “group of boys” had attempted to “indoctrinate” their son, with the state’s Department of Education being made aware, and forwarded the relevant material.
The concerns prompted the parent to share their concerns with the Australian Federal Police.
On Sunday WA Police Force Assistant Commissioner Col Blanch confirmed the teenager had been involved in a national deradicalisation program aimed at guiding attendees away from violent extremism.
However, the state’s top cop didn’t go as far to call the incident a terrorist attack, despite carrying all the “hallmarks” of one.
“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.”
The teenager’s attack has been condemned by Perth’s largest mosque, the Nasir Mosque.
“The whole community is shook, and we are all concerned regarding the perpetrators’ online radicalisation that early reports are hinting towards,” said Imam Syed Wadood Janud.
“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.”
Saturday’s attacks comes just weeks after Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was allegedly stabbed while giving a sermon at the Assyrian Christ the Good Shepherd church in Wakeley in Sydney’s southwest.
A 16-year-old teen has been arrested and charged with the attack, which had been lifestreamed, and the attack was declared a terrorist incident.