A Woolworths supermarket in Perth was placed into lockdown on Thursday evening after a chaotic incident involving a large group of teenagers.
Incident at Carramar Village Shopping Centre
The supermarket, located in the Carramar Village Shopping Centre, was closed around 7pm. Police were called to the scene following reports of a large group of youths causing a disturbance within the centre. There were also allegations that a knife had been involved.
According to Western Australia Police, a shopping centre employee confronted the group and was allegedly threatened, with drinks thrown at him. The group entered Woolworths but reportedly walked in and out quickly, with the disturbance occurring outside in the shopping centre, as understood by 7NEWS.com.au.
Precautionary Closure
The Woolworths store, which typically closes at 9pm on Thursdays, shut its doors two hours early as a precautionary measure. It reopened for business as usual on Friday morning.
One person posted on a local community Facebook page claiming the lockdown was due to 14 teenagers with knives throwing items. However, police stated that no evidence was identified to substantiate the allegation that a knife was produced.
Police Response and Arrests
The group allegedly fled the scene, and police arrested three young teenagers nearby on Kirkimbie Street. Police confirmed that no weapons were located during the arrests.
A 14-year-old boy was issued a juvenile caution for common assault, and another 14-year-old boy received a juvenile caution for making threats. Investigations are ongoing, and anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
