BURLINGTON, Ky. — Hundreds of people marched through Burlington to remember a 21-year-old shot and killed in Florence.
Dan Likiko was found shot inside his vehicle along Winthrop Circle on April 22. The suspect in his murder, 38-year-old Wayne Haggard, made his first court appearance Friday morning.
Likiko's friends and family walked from the Boone County Public Library to the courthouse for Haggard's hearing, chanting "Justice for Dan" and carrying signs that said "We love you, Dan" and "Black Lives Matter."
"We are very happy to see the community come together to support Dan, who is our brother who has died for no reason," said Bob Mukeba, a friend of Likiko.
Many of those involved in the protest were members of the Congolese community in Northern Kentucky, and the Congolese flag could be seen wrapped around the shoulders of multiple people. Likiko's family moved here from the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2015.
"This is a very hard time for us," said Didieo Diakandu, a member of the Congolese Community of Northern Kentucky. "Just a young man, 21-year-old being killed by the neighbor. We cannot live like that."
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Initial investigation by police revealed Likiko was involved in some type of altercation with people on Wintergreen Court, which led to shots being fired. Haggard's family claims the computer technology student threatened him.
Likiko's mother was in attendance. She was visibly emotional as her son, Likiko's older brother Romuald, spoke.
"It's crazy ... I'm trying to put the pieces together over what exactly happened, but there's no explanation at all because he was not on his property," Romauld Likiko said. "He's calling it self-defense. That's not self-defense at all."
Judge Marcia Thomas deemed Haggard a danger to the community and set his bond at $1 million cash. His case has also been moved to a grand jury. Haggard has a preliminary hearing set for April 28.
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