Caption: Enrico Guerra and his daughter Anika
POPULAR Moruga businessman Enrico Andy Guerra and his five-year-old daughter, Anika Guerra, were fatally shot in an attack outside their home on Tuesday night.
The incident occurred around 9.45 pm at Guerra’s residence on Poui Trace, St Mary’s Village, Moruga. Guerra, known affectionately as Rico, was outside his home with his friend, Juston Weston, when gunmen opened fire.
MP for Moruga/Tableland Michelle Benjamin said the murders showed an alarming trend in her constituency as it have turned into a battleground for violent crime.
In a release on Wednesday, she said, “This heinous act of violence underscores a growing and alarming trend that we have been witnessing in our community.
“Moruga/Tableland, once a peaceful and close-knit area, has become a battleground for violent crime. The rise in such incidents is not just statistics on a page; these are lives being destroyed, families being torn apart, and a community living in fear.”
Guerra, owner of Enrico’s Corner Mart, attempted to flee into his shop, but was pursued by the masked assailants. His young daughter Anika, who was inside the minimart with her mother, Anastacia Hamilton, was caught in the crossfire. Hamilton, who was combing Anika’s hair at the time, tried to shield her daughter as bullets flew through the air.
Anika was struck multiple times on the left side of her face, lower back, and arm. She was rushed to Princes Town Hospital, but succumbed to her injuries around 10.20 pm, less than half an hour after the shooting. Guerra died on the spot, while Weston sustained a gunshot wound to his right forearm and was later discharged from the hospital.
Guerra’s mother, Hesper Alidarsoo, a well-known community activist, expressed her grief in a Facebook post: “They took my first-born child from me with his daughter… Where do I pick up the pieces? God help me to understand.”
Benjamin called on National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds and Minister in the Ministry of National Security Keith Scotland to take immediate action.
She said, “I cannot stand by and watch as the residents of Moruga/Tableland continue to be neglected and overlooked by those responsible for our safety. I strongly condemn the Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds and fellow Minister in his Ministry, Keith Scotland, for failing to prioritise the needs and safety of those living in rural areas like ours. The current strategies are inadequate and are failing to protect our citizens.
“Our community deserves to be better. We deserve to feel safe in our homes, our businesses, and our streets. I call on both Minister Hinds and Minister Scotland to take immediate and decisive action to address the rampant crime in Moruga/Tableland. We need more resources, more patrols, and a comprehensive plan to restore peace and safety to our beloved community.
“Let us honor the memory of Enrico Guerra and his daughter by ensuring that no other family must endure such pain and loss. I will continue to fight for the safety and well-being of the people of Moruga/Tableland, and I will not rest until our community is once again a place where we can live without fear.”
