Slain postal worker laid to rest

PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. (WSVN) -- A US postal worker who was shot while on duty was laid to rest.

Hundreds attended 60-year-old Bruce Parton's funeral, Saturday night.

According to police, Parton was shot twice while delivering mail in the area of Northwest 165th Street and Second Avenue in North Miami-Dade, Monday. The gunman drove away in Parton's mail truck, abandoned the vehicle a few blocks away from the scene and fled on foot.

Parton's family is still in shock over the postal worker's death. "Bruce was a kind, gentle, sensitive, soul, which makes this all the more incredible," said Parton's brother, Wayne Parton. "My brother Bruce was very much the kind of fellow who always was looking to somehow make peace among people."

Parton's neighbor, Doris Chiuz, said it was extremely difficult to say goodbye to Parton. "Very tough. Very," said Chiuz.

Investigators said the motive for the shooting is still unknown.

The shooter remains at large. He is described as a heavyset black man with dreadlocks in his 20s or 30s who stands between six feet and six feet four inches tall. At the time of the shooting, the suspect was wearing a red jacket, black pants and a black shirt. "Please, if you actually are there watching, think about what you just did," Chiuz said.

Wayne said, "We're not looking for revenge. We're looking to get someone who's dangerous off the street."

"I truly believe that he will be caught," said Mail Carrier Dorthy Flemming. "He will be caught."

Parton leaves behind his wife and 14-year-old son.

If you have any information on this shooting, call the US Postal Inspection Service at 1-888-876-5322. You may be eligible for a reward of $50,000 for the arrest and conviction of the person responsible.

(Copyright 2010 by Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)