Karrinyup, Perth: Panic as teenager allegedly threatens staff with a knife in busy shopping centre

A shopping center full of weekend visitors has been thrown into chaos after a teenager allegedly ran through it with a knife.

It comes two weeks after seven people were killed and 12 injured during a stabbing attack at Bondi Junction Westfield on April 13.

About 3.45pm on Saturday, police swarmed the Karrinyup Shopping Center in Perth’s north after reports a person was armed with a knife.

“There is no ongoing threat to the community,” a WA Police spokesperson said PerthNow.

A teenager reportedly brandished a knife and threatened staff as he tried to steal from the Myer.

He then fled the store, frightening shoppers who reportedly saw him running past with a knife in hand.

Police arrested the teenager on Karrinyup Road shortly afterwards and a knife has since been located and seized.

A ‘code brown’ warning was reportedly issued, the same warning issued for events with large numbers of casualties or disasters.

A customer told me 7News she heard people screaming and panicked.

“Everything was just normal until we heard a female voice say something along the lines of ‘help.’ ‘Staff! Stop him, stop him!’ And then it was a scream of safety … and then we heard her say, ‘He’s got a knife,'” she said.

“Of course, the shades of the past few weeks were tearing through my heart, and I was definitely scared.”

Wanneroo councilor Helen Berry shared a post on her Facebook page informing her constituents of the alleged incident.

“I hope all those shopping in Myers Karrinyup are safe as police have swarmed the Karrinyup shopping center over the past hour after a youth reportedly brandished a knife as he tried to steal from the Myers store,” she said.