Major shopping centre locked down after knife fight

Shoppers have described being locked down in Perth’s biggest shopping centre after a terrifying knife incident that left one man with a slash to the face, with two people on the run.

The largest shopping centre in Perth was plunged into a lockdown after a violent knife fight that left one young man with a wound to his face and two people still on the run.

Police confirmed three males were involved in a physical altercation, with two of them armed with a knife.

A 20-year-old man suffered a slash wound injury to his face.

“It is not known at this time how the victim received the injury – if this was during the physical altercation or from the knife,” police said.

“Both knives have been recovered with the assistance of an off-duty police officer.

“Two males remain outstanding at this time.

“There is no ongoing threat to the public or cause for further alarm.”

It is unclear whether the three people knew each other.

Westfield Carousel shopping centre in Cannington. Picture: Instagram

One of the men is described as being a light-skinned male in his late teens to early 20s.

A shopper told 6PR radio she arrived at the shopping centre about 3.30pm and was walking through Myer when it went into lockdown.

“We couldn’t get out and people were just running through the shop saying someone’s got a knife,” she said.

“We just saw ambulance people arriving. There was still cops. That’s not a nice feeling.”

Another man said he was “rattled” when he saw a young man run past him without a shirt and wielding a knife.

Reports on social media said shoppers had been locked in Myer, but were later released.

There was also blood on the ground out the front of another store.

Westfield Carousel Shopping Centre went into lockdown after a knife-wielding man slashed another 20-year-old man across the face. Picture: Stewart Allen

“What the Hell is going on? Knife attacks and murders from one side of the country to the other,” one person commented.

It comes after six people were fatally stabbed by Joel Cauchi at Westfield in Bondi last month.

Jade Young, Dawn Singleton, Ashlee Good, Faraz Tahir, Pikria Darchia, and Yixuan Cheng were killed on April 13, with 12 other people hospitalised, including a nine-month-old baby.

WA Police Inspector Geoff DeSanges said multiple stores shut down under their own protocols during the incident.

He said it was understandable that those inside the shopping centre would have been frightened.

“That’s completely understandable considering what’s occurred in the eastern states, in Bondi in recent times, and other reports of knives in our community,” he said.

“It’s completely understandable that people would be concerned. However, I want to reassure the community that there is no cause for alarm.

“This occurred between three individuals only. The weapons used have been secured by police and we are seeking to identify and locate the other two people who remain outstanding.”

Originally published as Major shopping centre locked down after knife fight