Moruga street procession planned for slain man, daughter

SCORES of people are expected to attend the joint funeral of slain businessman Enrico "Rico" Guerra and his five-year-old daughter on August 28 at the family's home at St Mary's Village in Moruga.

The funeral is set to start at 2 pm, after which a street procession is planned from the house to the cemetery at Taylor Trace.

On August 24, from 6 pm, residents participated in a candlelight walk from Knox Supermarket on the Moruga Main Road, to the Guerra family's home at the corner of the Moruga Main Road and Poui Road.

Guerra, 34, owner of Enrico Corner Mart, and his daughter, Anika Guerra, were gunned down on August 21 at around 9.45 pm.

Anika's mother, Anastacia Hamilton, was combing her daughter's hair inside the mini mart when they heard gunshots.

Guerra ran inside, trying to escape the masked gunman who followed him and continued to shoot.

Guerra died on the spot.The child was taken to the Princes Town District Health Facility, where she later died.

Another villager, Justin Weston, 30, who was earlier talking to Guerra, was shot and wounded. He was treated and discharged from hospital.

Anika was expected to attend the St Mary's Government Primary School at the start of the new school term.

She was a preschooler at Blooming Scholars Kindergarten in Princes Town.

At 8. 50 pm on August 22, the kindergarten offered condolences via Facebook to the family, friends, class and schoolmates of the father and daughter and shared a 58-second video.

"We had an angel for a friend and will forever have you within in the bond that was created through love, joy and all the memories created with your peers. We miss you, we love you. Rest in heavenly peace."

On August 23, a close relative said on Facebook she wanted both back.

The post said: "You were all set and excited to head off to your new school, filled with intelligence and enthusiasm, and just like that, you were no more...now you are with your daddy surrounded by angels.

"You got your wings too early, and I know I was cheated because I wanted to watch you grow. Your mommy and daddy were doing an amazing job guiding you toward excellence. Now all I have is memories of both of you."

The double murder has saddened and angered many people as well as family and friends.

Even the Prime Minister, in a Facebook post on August 21, said he was shocked and angered at the barbarism that could result in violent criminal conduct with total disregard for human life in the country, which could see an adult with a gun deliver several shots into the body of a five-year-old child.

No one has been arrested.

Homicide Bureau of Investigation, Region Three, police are leading the investigation.