Alice Springs erupts as murder suspect is treated amid crowd outside hospital
Violence flared outside a hospital in Alice Springs as police treated Jefferson Lewis, the man arrested in connection with the murder of five-year-old Kumanjayi Little Baby. A crowd of hundreds of Aboriginal people chanted “payback,” threw projectiles, and police used tear gas; several people were injured, and no arrests for the disorder have been reported yet. Lewis was found unconscious and flown to Darwin where he remains in police custody; charges are expected in coming days. Forensic tests will confirm the girl’s identity and cause of death. The community and family mourn her loss, with cultural mourning protocols noted in coverage.