Biddeford residents call for permanent memorial to honor ICE shooting victim
Flowers and notes left at a memorial for Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero at the corner of Hill and Pool streets in Biddeford on July 26. Some Biddeford residents are calling for a permanent memorial to honor Guerrero's life. (Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer)
Some Biddeford residents are calling for a permanent memorial to honor Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, who was fatally shot by federal immigration agent David Brouillette in July.
At a City Council meeting Tuesday, several community members expressed their desire for a memorial that would preserve Guerrero’s memory and honor his life. A temporary memorial has stood at the corner of Hill and Pool streets, where Guerrero was shot, since July 13. Another still stands in Mechanics Park, which has hosted several rallies protesting Guerrero’s killing.
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Guerrero’s family has been “deeply moved” by the compassion the people of Biddeford have shown, Mayor Liam LaFountain said.
“They’ve expressed heartfelt appreciation for the vigils and messages, and the many acts of kindness that their family and representatives have experienced,” he said during Tuesday’s meeting.
The family has also asked for any messages left at the Hill and Pool streets memorial to be preserved.
Robert Cabeca, who lives close to where Guerrero died, has visited the memorial at Hill and Pool streets often to refresh the candles and flowers with his neighbors.
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He was home the morning Guerrero was killed, and he heard the gunshots.
“They still echo in my mind sometimes,” Cabeca said.
But Cabeca says a permanent memorial chosen by Guerrero’s family would be more meaningful.
“Honoring a life and memorializing a death are two different things. They carry different energy, and they mean something different to the family,” Cabeca said. “Whatever form the memorial takes, I hope it resembles the heart of the city.”
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Kelsey Cummings, a resident who also spoke at the July 21 council meeting devoted to the city’s response to the shooting, asked the council Tuesday to take responsibility and accountability by building a permanent memorial for Guerrero.
“We live in Maine. We get snow. It’s not gonna last,” Cummings said of the temporary memorial at Hill and Pool streets. “Got it? OK. So let’s do a permanent memorial, and let’s do it together.”
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Evan Lockwood, who also spoke at the July 21 meeting, criticized council President Roger Beaupre, who served as Biddeford police chief for more than 40 years.
“You had nothing to say at (the July 21) council meeting? That’s sad. Really, it’s sad,” Lockwood said. “Say something. Feel something. The people are feeling, and they’re hurt.”
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Beaupre also spoke at Tuesday’s meeting, but he said the opposite of what community members were asking for — he called for the temporary memorial at Mechanics Park to be taken down.
“For me, the bottom line is the time for the temporary memorial has come to an end,” Beaupre said. “Mechanics Park is a shared community space.”
While Beaupre said he “feels bad” about Guerrero’s death, but that there should be an ordinance to govern temporary and permanent memorials in Biddeford.
“We have to look at the fact that Mechanics Park is a public park and should be a welcoming spot for everyone,” Beaupre said. “Removing (the memorial) doesn’t prevent free expression by those who care, it just removes it from the shared space.”
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Guerrero’s family has not asked for a permanent memorial to be installed, LaFountain said. That may change, he said, but for now, the family has also asked that organizations and businesses not fundraise in Guerrero’s name without explicit permission.
The mayor added that city officials will have conversations with Biddeford’s Public Art Commission to help guide decisions about remembrance and public art surrounding Guerrero’s death, and future work will include preserving and documenting messages left at the temporary memorials.
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Tagged: biddeford city council, biddeford ice shooting, ICE, immigration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, maine crime
Sydney is a community reporter for Biddeford, Saco, Old Orchard Beach, Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel and previously reporter for the Courier and Post. Sydney grew up in Kennebunk and is a graduate. More by Sydney Richelieu
