HOURS before the joint funeral of a murdered mini mart owner and his five-year-old daughter, the political leader of the Patriotic Front (PF) has called for people to unite in grief.
Mickela Panday was one of the latest people to express outrage over the shooting deaths of Enrico “Rico” Guerra, 34, and his daughter, Anika Guerra, at St Mary’s Village in Moruga.
“We mourn the senseless and brutal killing of an innocent five-year-old child – a life cruelly stolen by the epidemic of gun violence that continues to plague our communities,” Panday said via Facebook on August 28.
“This heartbreaking tragedy is not just the loss of a child; it is the loss of our collective humanity, the loss of safety in our neighbourhoods, and a devastating indictment of the government’s failure to act.”
She added that the barbaric killing of Anika has not only left the nation in deep mourning but has also ignited a fire of righteous anger.
On August 21 at around 9.45 pm, a gunman shot Guerra outside his mini mart, where he was talking to a fellow villager.
Guerra ran inside, where his daughter and her mother were. The gunman chased him and continued shooting. Guerra died on the spot, and his daughter was taken to the Princes Town District Health Facility, where she later died. The villager, 30, was also shot and wounded.
Panday, the daughter of late former prime minister Badseo Panday, charged that the horrific act of violence was more than just a heartbreaking loss.
She threw jabs at the Government, saying the killings were a glaring reminder of the Government’s staggering failure to confront the rampant gun violence that threatens communities every single day.
“Let us be clear: this tragedy is not just the result of one person’s actions,” Panday said. “It is the consequence of a government that has consistently lacked the political will to tackle this crisis head-on, to stand up to the forces that profit from bloodshed and to prioritise the lives of its citizens over the interests of the powerful few.”
Panday said the party strongly condemned what she called the “Government’s indifference to the daily carnage that gun violence inflicts upon our people.”
Panday added, “We condemn its empty promises and hollow words, spoken in the aftermath of every tragedy, yet followed by no real action, no real change.”
She accused the Government of failing Anika and all other victims of gun violence.
Panday further accused the Government of refusing to enact meaningful reforms, crack down on the illegal flow of guns and provide the necessary resources for law enforcement and genuine youth programmes.
“The time for excuses is over. The time for action is long past due. We demand that this Government muster the courage to face this epidemic with the seriousness it deserves,” Panday said.
“We demand a comprehensive strategy that addresses not just the symptoms, but the root causes of gun violence – poverty, inequality, and a culture that glorifies violence over peace. We demand leadership that puts the safety and well-bei
