FITCHBURG (WKOW) -- A church just down the road from the scene of a Saturday morning homicide is bringing the community together after a tragedy.
On Sunday, Fitchburg Christian Fellowship held a picnic for neighbors who have been shocked by a number of violent crimes across town this summer.
Mayor Shawn Pfaff says gatherings like these help residents feel like they're part of a safe community. Police have extra patrols out in the Leopold Neighborhood after a body was found on Greenway Cross Saturday morning.
The event is a chance for residents to meet the officers.
"To really get out there and do neighborhood policing, develop a sense of trust. What you'll see [Sunday] is police officers talking with families and families talking with police officers," says Pfaff.
The church's pastor Thom Cahill says it's important to have community support in the neighborhood.
"Change if its going to come, it's going to come with the kids as they're growing up, you gotta help them see life differently, see life in a positive way," says Cahill.
In the meantime, Fitchburg police continue their search for the murder suspect. Police say Dominique Hale, 25, attacked a woman they believe is his ex-girlfriend and her male friend at an apartment building on Greenway Cross, killing the man. Authorities have recovered the vehicle they think Hale was driving, but have not found the suspect.
