Two months after a brazen shooting at The Residence nightclub in One Woodbrook Place, St James, a second victim has been laid to rest.
Relatives yesterday bid farewell to Lebanese architect Elias El Hajaly.
El Hajaly, Nikhil Luthra, 34, and Roger Ramdeo, 34, who were at the nightclub on August 13, were all hit when a gunman climbed the wall and opened fire on them as they were sitting at a table.
Luthra died, while Ramdeo was treated for injuries and released from hospital. El Hajaly, 51, was left fighting for his life but succumbed to his injuries on October 7.
During the funeral service at St Mary’s RC Church, St James, relatives, friends and business associates paid tribute to El Hajaly.
Many said despite El Hajaly’s Lebanese heritage, he had adapted to life in Trinidad and loved it.
One of El Hajaly’s friends, owner of the Trent Restaurants Group, Peter George Jr, said, “Eli became more than anything, a quintessential Trini...there was no aspect of our society he didn’t love and immersed himself into, from Carnival to business and even cricket, which at the beginning he didn’t even understand.”
Both of El Hajaly’s daughters, Joy and Leony, paid tribute to him, recalling the love he gave and the success he had over the years.
Eldest daughter, Joy, said, “Today, nothing makes me happier than knowing that he created a better environment for everyone around him.”
Another friend, Salim Boulos, described him as a determined and passionate man who always “stood for the best.” His prowess and ethics as a businessman and architect were also praised, since these qualities helped him excel in his field.
Shivonne Sammy, daughter of well-known local contractor Junior Sammy, recalled the “irreplaceable moments” spent with El Hajaly, saying their former business relationship soon flourished into a friendship between her, El Hajaly and Sammy’s brothers. She added that El Hajaly was akin to family and his death had taken “a piece of their hearts” with him.
Father Emmanuel Pierre told the congregation, “There is nothing right, there is nothing good about the circumstance that brought us together here today.”
He added, “There was nothing right and nothing good about the cross, it was the ultimate injustice and the very embodiment of evil.
“Believing in God does not mean closing one’s eyes to the brutal realities of life, human tragedy and suffering must somehow be included in our understanding of faith...we can argue the large part of suffering has been caused by stupidity and human sin...we can remind ourselves that suffering is often a vital factor in the building of character.”
