A Perth Iman says the city’s shocked Muslim community is concerned about a potential backlash after a radicalised teen stabbed a man outside a Bunnings store.

May 6, 2024

Perth’s Muslim community is bracing for a potential backlash after a radicalised teenager, who was fatally shot by police, stabbed a man with a large kitchen knife outside a Bunnings store.

The 16-year-old called triple zero threatening “acts of violence” about 10pm on Saturday, about the same time he was spotted in the hardware chain’s car park in the southern suburb of Willetton.

Responding officers deployed Tasers when the boy rushed at them but they failed to stop the teen and he continued to advance at police before a single fatal gunshot brought him to the ground.

The Imam of Perth’s largest mosque, the Nasir Mosque, condemned the attack “in the strongest terms”.

“There is no place for violence in Islam,” Imam Syed Wadood Janud said.

He said the Muslim community was shocked by the incident.

“This was so close to home – any one of us could have been at Bunnings,” he said.

Imam Wadood Janud said the Muslim community was worried about a possible backlash.

“We’re extremely concerned about Islamophobia,” he said.

“Sometimes the backlash can be very harsh.”

The teen, who was known to police and had mental health and online radicalisation issues, was taken to hospital and declared dead about 11pm on Saturday.

An injured man in his 30s was found close by with a stab wound and transported to Royal Perth Hospital where he remains in a serious but stable condition.

Western Australian Police Commissioner Col Blanch said the Caucasian teen had acted alone during the attack, which appeared to be random because he had no connection to his victim.

He also said the boy was part of a de-radicalisation support program treating extremism since 2022.

Members of the Muslim community concerned by the teen’s behaviour after he posted messages online had contacted police before the incident.

“We believe he sent relevant messages to some of those members who immediately responded by calling police,” Mr Blanch 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 quickly.”

Minister for Home Affairs Clare O’Neil thanked the Muslim community members who contacted police with concerns about the teen.

“There is no place for violent extremism in Australia,” she said in post on social media platform X.