Two trees were planted Sunday in honor of former Massachusetts State Police Trooper David Green and Air Force veteran Ramona Cooper, killed in a racially-motivated shooting a year ago.
A number of city and state leaders -- including the police chief, district attorney and family members -- attended the event in Winthrop, Massachusetts.
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The Winthrop residents were both Black, and their deaths were investigated as racially-motivated hate crimes.
Investigators found the gunman, 28-year-old Nathan Allen, had made "anti-Semitic and racist statements against Black individuals" before the shooting. Allen was killed in a shootout with police soon afterward.
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The tragic event shook the tight-knit Winthrop community.
Now, one year later, they're honoring the two innocent lives lost with two memorials. Trees were planted at both locations, about a block away from each other, as an act of faith in the future that also symbolizes the cycle of life.
Many people in the community showed up Sunday morning to show their support and to stand against hate.
"When an entire community of people stand together and say that they stand against hate and say they honor the memories of those that have gone before us, there is tremendous power in that," Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden said.
“It makes me realize that people aren’t going to forget my brother, or his life," added Ray Green, David's brother.
