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Residents press council for memorial at Hill and Pool after shooting; mayor says family has not asked for permanent tribute
Summary
Multiple residents asked Biddeford officials for a permanent memorial at Hill and Pool Streets for Johan Sebastian Duran Guerrero and for more transparency. Mayor LaFountain said the family asked that messages left at the site be preserved but has not requested a permanent memorial; the public art commission will be engaged to help guide remembrance.
Several residents urged the Biddeford City Council on Aug. 4 to create a timely, permanent memorial at the Hill and Pool Streets site where Johan Sebastian Duran Guerrero was killed.
Robert Quebec, who lives near the corner, described the ongoing impact of the shooting on neighbors and asked the council to contact the family and follow the family’s lead regarding a permanent memorial. Others including Kelsey Cummings, Evan Lockwood, Remy Lindeman and Catherine Crowley echoed those requests and asked for deeper transparency about investigative steps and official outreach to the family.
Councilors and the mayor responded with steps the city is taking to preserve messages and coordinate with the family. Mayor Liam LaFountain told the council that Johan’s family had asked that messages left by residents at the Hill and Pool intersection be preserved and that, at this time, the family had not requested a permanent physical memorial.
"At this time, they have not requested any permanent memorial," LaFountain said, adding that the city would work with the family and the public art commission to document and preserve messages and to provide options for remembrance and public art. The mayor also said he has contacted the state attorney general’s office and the city's federal delegation to pursue accountability and to support the family’s requests.
Councilor Woods and others said a mural is being installed downtown with the family’s blessing, and the council president recommended updating city ordinances and park rules to clarify the process and duration for temporary memorials. Some councilors also urged sensitivity to public-safety risks posed by large gatherings at busy intersections and recommended considering protective bollards or other design measures for Mechanics Park.
