Students and officials to remember
Mourners yesterday left flowers and candles in front of the Downtown Jersey City store where a well-liked shop owner was gunned down during a robbery Tuesday. A neighborhood group has also organized a vigil in his honor for tomorrow.
A large arrangement of flowers and candles in front of the Coles Street store where Kiritkumar Parikh, 57, of Van Winkle Avenue, was fatally shot was left there by students from McNair Academic High School, which is kitty-corner from the store.
"Thank you for your many years of kind service to our community," a note from the McNair students read. "Although no words can really help ease the loss you bear, just know that you are very close in every thought and prayer."
The Hamilton Park Neighborhood Association has organized a vigil for the slain grocery store owner to be held at the Hamilton Park gazebo at 7 p.m. tomorrow. Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy and Downtown Councilman Steve Fulop have been asked to speak.
Any neighbors or friends who wish to speak can also say a few words, the HPNA said in a press announcement. Fund information for donations to his family will be available at the vigil.
Fulop, council candidate Frank Scalcione, and mayoral candidate Dan Levin all said yesterday the murder is a sign that more cops need to be walking the beat.
Noting he's increased the ranks of police officers since he's taken office, Healy said he is working with Police Chief Tom Comey to put more police on the streets, in cruisers - and on bikes in the near future.
"This is a decent neighborhood, a nice place, and it was totally random," Healy said about Parikh's death. "I don't know how police could have prevented a crazy, vicious person with a handgun from carrying out this deed."
