'It eases off the pain': family and community members mourn 19-year-old homicide victim

Thoughtful, caring and loving – that’s how a 19-year-old homicide victim is being remembered.

On Saturday afternoon, a sombre mood filled the area in front of a Notre Dame Avenue hotel beer vendor as a vigil took place for John Lloyd Barrion.

John Lloyd was found injured at the beer vendor where he worked early Tuesday morning. He was taken to hospital where he died of his injuries.

"He always put family over everything. That really showed in the summer when he worked. He was a passionate, courageous person that didn't deserve what happened to him," said Joshua Lim, one of John Lloyd’s long-time friends.

At the vigil, family, like John Lloyd's oldest sibling John Emmanuel Barrion, shared fond memories of the 19-year-old.

"Walking home from church, just telling stories to pass to the time," recalled John Emmanuel.

Turn out for the vigil was high, with Winnipeg's tight-knit Filipino community shaken by John Lloyd's passing.

"We believe in 'Bayanihan,' which stands for being one with one another, doing what needs to be done, helping, being a neighbour, being a friend," said Ponz Mapuyan, a member of 204 Neighbourhood Watch and the father of one of John Lloyd's close friends.

John Emmanuel, said the showing of support is helping the family through this difficult time.

"My family is doing better now, knowing we have the support and the community backing us. It eases off the pain," he said.

But with wounds still fresh, many are calling for justice.

A hashtag of #justice4johnlloyd has been created, and the 204 watch group is calling on community stakeholders, like police, to re-examine if more can be done to keep people safe.

As for the family, John Emmanuel would like to see systemic change to ensure situations like this don't happen.

"Having the culprits basic needs met so they wouldn't have to resort to this type of stuff," said John Emmanuel.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help cover funeral costs. So far, it raised more than $6,000 in its first 24 hours.