Mother and baby witness multi-stabbing attack in centre of Alice Springs following ‘community dispute’

A man is in critical condition after a daylight stabbing in Alice Springs, as police hunt a suspect armed with steak knives following a violent brawl in the town centre.

A man is fighting for life after being stabbed in the town centre of Alice Springs in a daylight attack in front of shocked onlookers. Picture: Supplied

A man is fighting for life after being repeatedly stabbed in the town centre of Alice Springs in a daylight attack in front of shocked onlookers, including a family out for an early dinner with their 12-month-old child.

The man who was allegedly “armed with two steak knives” was arrested by police around midnight after allegedly stabbing another man multiple times in what sources say was a “community dispute” in one of the most populated parts of town.

Police say they received reports of an altercation “between up to 20 people” on Gregory Terrace, Alice Springs, just past 5pm on Thursday, and say they are examining whether there is a “close family link” between the victim and the accused. Both victim and offender aren’t primary residents of Alice Springs.

Footage obtained by The Australian, captured before police and ambulance arrived on scene, shows a 27-year-old man lying on the footpath as bystanders applied pressure to his wounds in a desperate attempt to keep him alive.

As the victim lay on the ground, the man police believe was behind the attack can be seen in footage captured by a witness fighting with two other men, one of whom he can be seen on video attempting to stab.

A man is fighting for life after being stabbed in the town centre of Alice Springs in a daylight attack in front of shocked onlookers. Picture: Supplied

The man armed with two knives walked past a mother and her 12-month-old child as he left the scene towards the Todd River. Picture: Supplied

The victim was in “traumatic arrest” when he was rushed to hospital, with paramedics forced to perform CPR on him on the short trip to Alice Springs hospital; police say he is now in a critical condition.

A witness to the attack said the incident started at a popular bar, from where some of the group had been kicked out.

The family with the 12-month-old who witnessed the attack – with the accused coming frightfully close – is considering leaving the Alice “immediately”.

“I thought about the Bondi Junction attack when I saw the man walking towards my wife and baby – that was the feeling, that this was a Sydney thing,” the father said.

“I had nothing on me to defend my family, just Woolworths shopping bags. I could see the knives in his hand and then he’s put them in his pocket.

“How do you ring everyone up in your family to explain, if anything had happened to my 12-month-old? How would I explain that to our family?” he said.

“A lot of people would drive past that and go ‘Oh, another day in Alice’; when is enough enough? The action that has been taken hasn’t been enough.

“ I haven’t seen (knife) wanding, the Banned Drinker Register has got to be implemented for establishments,” he said.

The baby’s mother said she was still in shock from the incident but that behaviour had “become normal now … I’m bloody terrified, I want to leave Alice … I don’t want (my son) to have to remember stuff like this.”

The man in the blue shirt allegedly attempted to stab a second person. Picture: Supplied

Laws which gave police powers to “wand” people for knives and other weapons were legislated in July 2023 following the stabbing death of Declan Laverty.

However, the Territory has continued to be rocked by recent stabbing events including the alleged murder of supermarket worker Linford Feick at the end of April.

Following Feick’s, the NT government passed what are claimed to be the toughest bail laws in the nation, after it was revealed the 18-year-old who was accused of his murder, a youth at the time, was first granted bail by an on-call judge in late 2023 for the alleged rape and aggravated assault of a 14-year-old girl.