Family Wants Murder Victim's Story To Have Positive Ending

DENVER (CBS4) - A murder victim's family and friends are asking the Denver community to stop the violence.

Clarence Thomas was shot in the back of the head last month while trying to break up a fight after the bars closed downtown, and now the family is urging anyone with information to come forward.

"Losing one life affects a family," said Arthur Williams, the victim's father. "It's all about family with us and the loss of him affected a lot of people."

Without much for detectives to go on, Wednesday night friends and family held a vigil, saying that they hope the community will end the violence.

"It's our community. I'm going to hold everybody accountable," Williams said. "We're just tired of the violence that's going around. It just doesn't make any sense. The kids have no sympathy, no empathy for no one and it just doesn't make any sense."

Police hoped to speak to a second victim to identify the shooter, but so far the investigation has not yielded any description of a criminal on the run.

And Thomas's family wants his story to have a positive ending.

"We raised our son to have sympathy for people, empathy for people, and that's how he died trying to help someone," Williams said. " Every time you see someone, don't be so mean to someone. Just have a smile on your face to meet someone."

There was a bill in the legislature this year to change bar hours so patrons weren't kicked out at the same time, ending in violence like this. The bill died after the governor threatened to veto it.