Final texts of radicalised Perth schoolboy revealed
The scene in Willetton.
The final text messages from a radicalised Perth teenager shot dead by police on Saturday night give rare insight into the mind of a boy who had descended into extremism.
The 16-year-old Rossmoyne Senior High School student was killed in a Bunnings car park after stabbing a stranger in the back with a large kitchen knife, and then chasing and lunging at police.
WA Premier Roger Cook said the boy, a Caucasian male who had converted to Islam, had a complex history of mental health issues and had been enrolled in a government-funded anti-extremism program since he was 14 years old.
“We were obviously well aware of the thoughts that he was harbouring, and he was an active participant in that program since two years ago,” he said.
“The law doesn’t prohibit people from having extreme thoughts, we don’t govern, we don’t have laws in place that tell people what they should think.”
It’s believed the teen was radicalised online via international groups.
Police were alerted to the boy’s violent plans by concerned members of the Muslim community who called triple zero after receiving a text from the teen.
The message, seen by this masthead, in part read: “Brothers, please forgive me for any time I have wronged you, I am going in the path of Jihad tonight for the sake of Allah Azzawajal. I am a soldier of the Mujahideen of Al-qaeda and take responsibility for the actions that will in Sha Allah Ta’ala take place tonight.”
WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said the attack had the ‘hallmarks of terrorism’, but did not declare it a terrorist act, as he believed the boy was working alone, and not part of a broader terror cell.
A parent at the boy’s school claimed complaints had been made to teachers and local politicians over concerns the boy had tried to convert other students into practising “extreme Islam”.
Cook confirmed the school was aware of concerns surrounding the student.
“We can confirm a letter was sent to the Minister for Education and as is appropriate, the minister automatically referred that letter to the education department for action,” he said.
“The education department obviously took that information on board and continued to manage that young man.”
Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie said she was worried about the rise of social media radicalism.
“I think it’s seriously [time] that we talked about putting fully qualified psychiatrist or psychologist in our schools and maybe looking at reducing the chaplains program because I’m not sure that that is helpful either,” Lambie told The Today Show.
The countering violence extremism program the boy was part of has around nine other people, including other children, currently participating in WA.
Students and staff at Rossmoyne Senior High School will be provided with support following the death of one of their classmates.
In a message sent to the school cohort on Sunday, principal Alan Brown confirmed the death “with great sadness”.
“We acknowledge and respect the family’s right to privacy. Our thoughts and sympathies are with them and their friends during this difficult time,” he said.
Imam of Perth’s largest mosque, the Nasir Mosque, Imam Syed Wadood Janud, said the incident was not a reflection of his religion.
“It is not only concerning, it’s shocking, and I think members of the community are still coming to terms with it,” he said.
“We condemn any act of violence which is committed in our name, in the name of our religion. Our religion literally means peace.”
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