GREEN ISLAND, Hanover- David Pennicooke, the father of a 26- year-old man who was slain by a gunman on Christmas Eve, has expressed gratitude to the police, youth clubs and churches within the Green Island area of Hanover, for staging a ‘Unite For Change’ march on New Year’s Day.

“We give thanks today to see the church and the police moving towards a peace march,” expressed David, the father of Michael, adding that “we would like for it to be done more than one time, and thanks be to God for this moment.”

It is reported that late Christmas Eve, two armed masked men turned up at a business establishment in the community of Prospect in Hanover. But, when it was discovered that establishment was closed, one of the men turned his weapon on persons who were sitting on the porch of the premises.

Michael a truck driver and another man, were shot during the attack. Michael later succumbed to his injuries at hospital, while the other man escaped with non-life threatening injuries.

The elder Pennicooke told the Jamaica Observer during the march, that even though the family is going through a lot of trauma as a result of the incident, they are “putting everything in God’s hands and keeping the faith.”

The death of the younger Pennicooke was the second murder committed within a week in the Green Island division leading up to the Christmas holidays. The other occurred in the nearby community of Rock Spring.

Last week’s staging of the ‘Unite For Change’ programme was the first of several scheduled community stops under the initiative for this year. Other communities to benefit under the programme will include Greenland, Johnson Town and Mt Pelier.