Willetton stabbing: Perth man stabbed by radicalised teen before attacker was shot dead outside Bunnings breaks his silence from hospital

A man stabbed by a ‘radicalised’ teenager who was later shot dead by police has broken his silence from his hospital bed.

The victim, in his 30s, was stabbed in the back as he left a 24-hour gym in Willetton in Perth’s north late on Saturday evening.

He was rushed to Royal Perth Hospital in a serious but stable condition where he continues to recover.

Four days later, the man is still physically and mentally scarred by the harrowing ordeal.

“I am currently coming to terms with my injuries and the circumstances surrounding Saturday night’s events,” he said in a statement.

“I would like to thank the first responders who responded to 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 be given privacy now as I recover from my physical injuries and the emotional toll this has taken on me.’

The teenager who attacked him had previously mentioned triple-0 threatening acts of violence and also sent messages warning: ‘I am going on the path of jihad’

The boy, who has since been identified as ‘James’, had called police at 10.22pm without identifying himself to say he was ‘going to commit acts of violence’ before hanging up the phone.

Officers met him outside Bunnings in Willetton.

The teenager was fatally shot by police in the car park outside Bunnings in Willetton

Police confronted and surrounded the teen as they begged him to drop the weapon.

He was tasered in vain by two officers 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 Act.

‘It meets the definition, so you can speak of a terrorist act. “I’m saying I don’t need to report an incident because I don’t need any additional powers,” he said 7NEWS.

“If that changes and more information becomes available, I may have to declare it a terrorist incident or act in order to use those powers, but this time I don’t have to do that.”

WA Premier Roger Cook said members of the Muslim community had contacted police with concerns about the teenager’s behavior prior to the incident.

He was believed to have shared his extremist views with other students using the prayer room at Rossmoyne Senior High School, according to reports WA Today.

The man was stabbed in a parking lot by radicalized teenager James (photo)

But Department of Education director-general Lisa Rodgers said there was no evidence he was trying to indoctrinate other students.

‘I introduce myself [the 16-year-old] could use that prayer room without active supervision,” she told 6PR on Wednesday.

‘Certainly, there was constant passive surveillance of that prayer room.

‘He was extremely radicalized and had complex problems. The school reported it to the federal police when they noticed unusual behavior.’

The boy was known to the police and had been participating in a deradicalization program since 2022.

Authorities believe the teen acted alone.

Investigations are underway.

Officers were called to the scene after the stabbing and had to shoot the teenager dead