Australia: Perth police shoot dead boy, 16, after he stabs man in attack with 'hallmarks' of terrorism

May 05, 2024

Police have shot dead a 16-year-old boy after he stabbed a man in the back in Australia in a possible terrorist attack.

The boy called police on Saturday night to say he was going to commit violence but didn't say where or who he was, said Sky News Australia reporter Crystal Wu.

A man in his 30s was stabbed with a kitchen knife, with police alerted to the attack in a car park by a member of the public.

Three officers arrived and fired Tasers at the boy, but it failed to subdue him.

It's understood he was shot when he refused to put the knife down and rushed at officers.

The victim is in a serious but stable condition in hospital.

Local reports indicate the attacker was known to police and had mental health issues and was in a deradicalisation programme.

Members of the local Muslim community had raised concerns about the boy with police before the attack, said Western Australian Police Commissioner Col Blanch.

Regional premier Roger Cook said "at this stage it appears that he acted solely and alone".

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said police and intelligence agencies had advised there was no ongoing threat.

"We are a peace-loving nation and there is no place for violent extremism in Australia," Mr Albanese wrote on X.

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The incident comes after a 16-year-old boy and six others were charged last month with terror-related offences following the stabbing of a bishop during a sermon in Sydney.

That attack came only days after a mass stabbing in the Sydney suburb of Bondi killed six people.

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