Family makes plea after postal worker's death

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (WSVN) -- The family of a US postal worker who was shot and killed while on duty is still searching for the person responsible for his death.

On Dec. 6, 60-year-old Bruce Parton was shot twice while on his mail route in the Monte Carlo apartment complex in Northwest Miami-Dade. Parton was airlifted to the hospital, where he later died. "Who knows what somebody's thinking, and I guess it's just difficult to make sense of," said Nina Parton, the victim's daughter.

Meanwhile, the shooter stole Parton's mail truck but later abandoned the vehicle a few blocks away from the scene of the shooting. "My dad's been delivering mail on this route for ten years, you know. There was never ever trouble or anything like that," Nina said. "He was such a gentle guy, such a friendly guy. Not somebody who would have a problem with anybody."

Hundreds of people attended Parton's funeral over the weekend, including his fellow postal workers. According to Nina, her father's coworkers shared with her stories about her father's caring and helpful nature. "Often you don't know how much of an impact someone makes, but we did get to meet these people that he impacted," Nina said.

In January, Parton would have worked as a postal employee for 30 years. This holiday season, Parton's family hopes that his killer is brought to justice. "I would like to know that who ever did this is off the street," Nina said.

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.

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