A Double Day Hotel in Guyana was set ablaze and destroyed by furious locals after the lifeless body of an 11-year-old girl turned up floating face-down in the hotel’s pool. Within twenty-four hours, her mysterious death had sparked rumors of kidnapping, an alleged police cover-up, and violent protests. The investigation is ongoing.
Wednesday, April 23, was supposed to be a special day for 11-year-old Adrianna Younge. Her grandmother, Carol Xavier, took her and a few other relatives to the hotel’s pool for some fun and relaxation, but the next 24 hours turned into the family’s worst nightmare.
Her grandmother said she last saw Adrianna at 1:10 p.m. on Wednesday, after giving her money to purchase a wristband to swim in the pool. When she returned later that afternoon to collect Adrianna and her siblings, the little girl was nowhere to be found.
The family immediately reported her missing to the Tuschen police and then jumped into action on the ground, searching for her everywhere.
Peak panic set in on Thursday morning, April 24, when a group of concerned locals blocked the road outside of the hotel and started a fire in protest of the police’s inaction, reported local outlet Wic News.
Soon, false rumors surfaced that she had been kidnapped. Police claimed that security footage from the area showed the 11-year-old getting into a vehicle with a possible abductor, but those claims were later retracted.
Although the pool area had obviously been searched, it was reported that Adrianna’s body was suddenly discovered floating in the water shortly after 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, though it’s not clear who found her.
Sources told local news outlets that her body was bruised with visible signs of injury, including a badly bruised knee. The minutes following the terrible discovery were caught on video and posted to Instagram. A warning to viewers: the video contains graphic content.
The footage depicts a disturbing scene of utter chaos, with people screaming and trashing patio furniture. A woman off-camera cries out in panic, “She’s in the pool!” At one point, a cloud of smoke can be seen rising from the background.
Another video post emerged on social media showing a man identified as Adrianna’s father pulling her out of the water as a crowd of shocked onlookers gathered around.
Within minutes, chaos broke out and the hotel was engulfed in flames. Armed police confronted hundreds of protesters at the hotel, reported Wic News. The angry crowd next torched the residence of the hotel’s owner, who lives a few blocks away.
In the aftermath, several people have been taken into custody in connection with Adrianna’s death, including the hotel owners. The police announced that an autopsy would be conducted by a Barbadian expert proposed by the government. But the autopsy was reportedly put on hold by the grieving family, who met with President Dr. Irfaan Ali to request an independent pathologist.
As the days pass without answers, the mysterious death of Adrianna continues to grip the nation as protestors fuel rumors of a police cover-up.
President Ali assured his country that the government was committed to bringing the culprit or culprits to justice. In an official statement, per News Room Guyana, he said, “No resource will be spared in getting to the facts and the truth,” adding that a special investigative unit formed by the Commissioner of Police is determined to investigate every detail of the young girl’s death.
