In short:
About 300 people have walked Morwell's main street in solidarity, to condemn violence.
asserted
people → walk → violence
The walk marked a year since the alleged murder of Kaiden Morgan-Johnston by two boys and a man, 500 metres from his Morwell home.
asserted
walk → mark → home
Mr Morgan-Johnston's mother says she will keep advocating to stamp out violence in the community.
asserted
she → say → community
Twelve months ago Sascha Johnston watched the AFL grand final with her 18-year-old son Kaiden.
asserted
Johnston → watch → son
WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are warned that this story includes names and images of Indigenous people who have died.
asserted
who → warn → people
Hours later, he was allegedly murdered by three people, only 500 metres from his home in Victoria's east.
uncertain
he → murder → east
Instead of sharing a couch with him to watch the big game this year, she was preparing to march the streets of Morwell, to condemn violence in his honour.
asserted
she → share → honour
She rallied a 300-strong crowd of people of all ages, and also managed to gather other Latrobe Valley families who have lost loved ones to violence.
asserted
who → rally → violence
They walked down the main street and gathered in the local park to talk about change and tell the young people of the Latrobe Valley that weapons and violence are never the answer.
asserted
weapons → walk → Valley
Addressing the crowd, Ms Johnston said she was proud of her community.
asserted
she → address → community
"We've all just used our voices and our feet to say that we want a safe community," she said.
"We all deserve to be safe and we need to be teaching our kids and young people there's never ever the right time for a weapon.
"Young lives lost, young lives with so much future ahead of them that they would have contributed to society, and what's left is insurmountable pain.
"
asserted
left → use → society
We deserve safe streets, [a] safe community for our children, for the young ones, for anyone."
asserted
We → deserve → anyone
A young life lost
Kaiden Morgan-Johnston was a proud Yorta Yorta, Wakka Wakka and Wurundjeri man living on Gunaikurnai country.
asserted
Johnston → lose → country
He worked at Bunnings, spent time with mates and was quickly becoming a young Aboriginal leader, dancing with local Indigenous dance group Boorun Boys.
asserted
He → work → group
"You know, he's not here to finish his story, but I'll be finishing it on his behalf
asserted
I → know → behalf
," Ms Johnston said.
asserted
Johnston → say → ?
"I do this with Kaiden, I know he's with me, I do this with him,"
"That's my mission as his mum."
asserted
That → do → mum
In the latest data from the Crime Statistics Agency, Latrobe Valley recorded the highest rate of criminal incidents in Victoria outside the City of Melbourne.
asserted
Valley → record → Melbourne
In the weeks before Kaiden died, the Victorian government introduced machete bins.
asserted
government → die → bins
But Ms Johnston said she believed teaching young people not to carry them at all was the most important thing.
asserted
teaching → say → them
"There were probably machetes that went into those bins that were from someone's garden shed, but not the young people that are pulling them out and using them as weapons," Ms Johnston said.
asserted
Johnston → be → weapons
"If someone feels they're at risk, they think their only way to keep safe is to carry a weapon, that's the problem.
"
asserted
that → feel → weapon
We just need everybody to put them down."
asserted
everybody → need → them
When Mr Morgan-Johnston was about 15 years old, he was robbed on a tram by a group of boys at knifepoint.
asserted
he → rob → knifepoint
"You know, that was the path Kaiden wanted to go down after he got robbed," Ms Johnston said.
asserted
Johnston → know → ?
"And we worked through that, we said that's not the solution.
"
asserted
that → work → that
He grew up and he realised that's not the way to solve anything, so he wasn't interested in carrying weapons or anything like that.
asserted
he → grow → that
But above all, she wants society to be safer.
asserted
society → want → all
"In his short life, he was robbed for his shoes and his phone," Ms Johnston said.
asserted
Johnston → rob → shoes
"And then he's [allegedly] murdered at 18.
uncertain
he → murder → 18
"What kind of world have we created that a young person can experience that level of violence?"
asserted
person → create → violence
Families remember lost loved ones
Walking alongside Mr Morgan-Johnston's family were the families of slain GP Dr Ashley Gordon and Roy Poole, who was killed in Moe in 2011.
asserted
who → remember → 2011
Dr Ashley Gordon grew up in the Latrobe Valley and went to school in Morwell.
asserted
Gordon → grow → Morwell
His family is well-known for running the local childcare centre.
asserted
family → know → centre
Dr Gordon was murdered in 2024 by a teenager with a knife.
asserted
Gordon → murder → knife
He had chased a group of boys who had broken into his home.
asserted
who → chase → home
His sister Natalie Gordon has since been vocal about preventing knife crime.
asserted
sister → prevent → crime
"I think it's amazing that so many people are getting behind it and so many young faces," Ms Gordon said.
"
asserted
Gordon → think → it
It's really, really nice to see so many young people understanding their actions have consequences and, you know, fighting against wrong."
asserted
you → see → wrong
Ms Gordon has campaigned for tougher penalties for youth crime and legislation like Jack's Law to be brought to Victoria.
asserted
penalties → campaign → Victoria
…and 12 more, not listed.
The Aporia