As residents stand in solidarity with the family of slain Moruga residents Enrico Guerra, 34, and his five-year-old daughter, Anika, during a candlelight vigil at their St Mary’s Village home last night, Annisa Khan-Mohammed, secretary of St Mary’s Police Community Council, called on the Government and Minister of National Security to declare a state of emergency in the country.
Khan-Mohammed said, “We feel now the nation is in a state of emergency, although it has not been officially called. We feel the nation is in a state of emergency. We hope, putting all politics aside, that other communities will be inspired to do the same, and hopefully, we can band together as a nation to get policies and strategies in place and call a state of emergency as it is and put things in place that are more heavy-handed by the hierarchy of the Ministry of National Security.”
A 10k walk from Knox Supermarket, St Mary’s, was hosted by the St Mary’s Village Police Community Council and ended at Enrico Guerra’s St Mary’s Junction business in honour of the father and daughter who were gunned down by bandits on Tuesday.
Both Enrico and Anika were at Enrico’s Corner Mart when a gunman opened fire on them, killing Guerra on the spot. His daughter was shot five times in her face, back, and arm.
She succumbed to her injuries at the Princes Town District Hospital. Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley described the murders as barbarism in a Facebook post and promised that the authorities would pursue the criminal elements, which currently have T&T under siege.
Hundreds of people carrying candles wore T-shirts marked “In loving memory of Enrico and Anika.” There was a heavy police presence in the area.
Guerra’s mother, Hesper Ali-Darsoo, hugged her brother Darryl Ali and cried, “Why, oh, why?”
At the crime scene, officers recovered 17 spent and live 5.56 ammunition-bullets used in a semi-automatic firearm. It was reported that Guerra, who owns the mini-mart, was washing his vehicle in the company of a friend.
His friend was shot in the arm, sought medical care, and was discharged from the hospital. Police reports stated that following the shooting, three masked men were seen running into a teak field near the crime scene.
Enrico Guerra and his girlfriend, Anastasia Hamilton, were planning to get married next year.
Little Anika was expecting to attend primary school on September 2 when school reopened. Their funeral is set for Wednesday.