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United in grief APPEAL LOOMING PAGE 2
Uncle Robert Wandin lit a ceremonial fire and embraced many family and those showing support in the wake of the death of Kaiden Morgan.
CENTENARIAN CELEBRATES Photograph: Aidan Knight
By AIDAN KNIGHT
Warning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this story contains the name and image of a person who has died. FOLLOWING the tragic death of young Morwell man Kaiden Morgan last week, the fractured community came together to bring as much attention as possible to the effects of the youth crime epidemic sweeping the state. This took place in the shape of a public commemorative march (held Tuesday, September 30) from the Morgan/ Johnston family home to his final resting place on The Boulevard, where his life was taken on Saturday, September 27. Morgan, the victim of an alleged machete attack, was found by police around 10.25pm the night of the AFL Grand Final and was then rushed to hospital, where he died that night. As reported in last week's Police Beat,
another young man, Tyrese Walsh (a Warragul resident aged 20), was also hospitalised after being found in a similar state on Gillie Crescent, only a few blocks away. Police have not supplied any further details on the second victim, as the investigation is ongoing. Police claim that all people involved in the incident were known to each other. Tributes flowed for Morgan, with many describing the 18-year-old as a "young Indigenous leader" who revered and loved his family, friends, and culture. He appeared on ABC's Takeover program in May, as part of an Indigenous dance group, The Boorun Boys, that performed at the MCG, something he was very passionate about. The Gippsland Trades and Labour Council was one of the first organisations to pay their respects publicly, stating, "Kaiden was more than just a participant in the Community Turf Force program; he was a mentor, a role model, and a friend of GTLC. Kaiden
brought heart, strength, and generosity to everything he did, inspiring others with his leadership, conversation, connection to culture, and quiet determination to support others.” They also described him as "a great listener, and his ability to hold space for others was a rare gift, and one that touched many." Latrobe City River Ward Councillor, Tracie Lund, said Kaiden "wasn't just a young man with his whole life ahead of him". "Violence like this hasn't just taken a life, it will leave scars on families and friends that will never truly heal, and it has shaken our community," she said. Jordan Johnston, fellow Boorun Boy, spoke publicly on the deeper issue of it all, and the normalisation of violence in the area. "It’s messed up when you can’t even walk home safe in your own hometown," he said. "Just because Kaiden’s killers got
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caught doesn’t mean this won’t happen again. This is exactly why I don’t live in the Valley anymore. "When is government going to step up and do something real for people? Why is it left to our parents, uncles, aunties, role models, and ourselves to keep us safe, but get in trouble when we've got to take matters into our own hands?" "I grew up in Latrobe Valley thinking this was just normal life. Until I left and realised it’s not. And don’t say 'there’s trouble everywhere you go' because that’s only true to a certain extent. "The stats don’t lie. Latrobe Valley crime rates are now on par with Melbourne’s CBD. How can we let that happen in a smaller community? "We've got to make a stand. Take a look at each other. Take a look at yourself and act on what you can do. If you wanna love where you live and take pride in your home. Now is time to do something about it. " Continued pages 16 -17
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