A man stabbed by a “radicalized” teenager who was later shot dead by police has broken his silence from his hospital bed.
The victim, aged in his 30s, was stabbed in the back in the random attack as he left a 24-hour gym in Willetton, north of Perth, on Saturday night.
He was rushed to Royal Perth Hospital in a serious but stable condition, where he continues to recover.
Four days later, the man still bears the physical and mental scars of the ordeal.
“I am currently coming to terms with my injuries and the circumstances surrounding the events of Saturday night,” he said in a statement.
The man was stabbed in the back with a kitchen knife as he left a 24-hour gym in Perth on Saturday night.
“I would like to thank the first responders who attended the scene, the staff at Royal Perth Hospital for the treatment I received and the community for their support.
“This is a very difficult time for everyone involved and I ask that I now be given privacy while I recover from my physical injuries and the emotional toll this has taken on me.”
The teenager who attacked him had previously rated triple 0 threatening acts of violence and also sent messages warning: “I am going down the path of jihad.”
The boy, who has since been identified as ‘James’, called police at 10.10pm without identifying himself to say he was “going to commit violence” before hanging up the phone.
Officers met him outside Bunnings in Willetton.
The teenager was shot dead by police in the car park outside Bunnings in Willetton.
Police confronted and surrounded the teen while pleading with him to drop the gun.
Two officers unsuccessfully attacked him with a Taser, before lunging at a third, who fatally shot him.
Police Commissioner Col Blanch refused to call the incident an act of terrorism, which would give the commissioner additional powers under the emergency management law.
‘It meets the definition, so it can be said that it is a terrorist act. “I’m saying I don’t need to declare an incident because I don’t need additional powers,” he said. 7NEWS.
“Now, if that changes and more information comes to hand, I may have to declare it a terrorist incident or a terrorist act to use those powers, but this time I don’t need to do that.”
WA Premier Roger Cook said members of the Muslim community had contacted police before the incident concerned about the teenager’s behaviour.
He was believed to have shared his extremist views with other students who were using the prayer space at Rossmoyne Senior High School, according to WA today.
Man was stabbed in a car park by radicalized teenager James (pictured)
But Department of Education CEO Lisa Rodgers said there was no evidence he was trying to indoctrinate other students.
‘I imagine [the 16-year-old] “I would have been able to use that prayer room without active supervision,” he told 6PR on Wednesday.
‘There was certainly continuous passive monitoring of that prayer room.
‘He was extremely radicalized and had complex problems. The school reported the incident to federal police when it observed some unusual behavior.
The boy was known to the police and had been participating in a deradicalization program since 2022.
Authorities believe the teen was acting alone.
Investigations are ongoing.
Officers were called to the scene after the stabbing, where they were forced to shoot the teen to death.