Marley Rowe’s friends and family search for answers

Friends and family of Hamilton’s first murder victim of 2014 gathered today in his honour.

23-year old Marley Rowe was shot dead outside a house party in the city’s east end New Year’s Day.

This afternoon, his friends held a rally to draw attention to gun violence, and the many unanswered questions in Rowe’s death.

For dozens of his family and friends, honouring his memory is the easy part.

“He was a good kid, a good father,” says his grandmother Alayne Howie.

His mother Sherri Bonnallie says he was very popular.

“He knew everybody from one end of the city to the other. There’s so many people that you can just see his presence around them was just an abundance of love.”

Coming to grips with his murder is much harder. They still know very little about the night Rowe was killed at a party on Sherman Avenue.

Police still haven’t released a suspect description. They and Rowe’s family are asking anyone who saw or heard something the night of the shooting to come forward.

Marley’s mother believes someone knows who killed her son. She and his loved ones say they’ll keep fighting for justice until it’s served.

“You have a voice too, and Marley, he would have had your back if he’d seen something. Believe me, no doubt in my mind.”

They believe if Rowe’s killer hadn’t brought a gun to that party, he would still be alive.

For more information on how you can keep his memory alive visit https://www.facebook.com/MarleyRoweMemorial.