The parents of murdered Tekle Zion Mallory last night called for calm as the trial into the death of their son neared completion.

In anticipation of a verdict being returned by the jury today, Zeble` and Gary (Tuba) Mallory said Bermuda had suffered enough bloodshed and the Island's young men should stop their fighting.

They spoke out after shots were fired at Everett Jahni Bean on Monday night - just hours after he had been found not guilty of the joint murder of their son.

The jury acquitted Mr. Bean, 20, due to a lack of evidence, and while he was home in Warwick celebrating, gunshots were fired at the crowded house, injuring 15-year-old Nicky Tucker Jr..

But as the jury is today due to go out and begin their deliberations on his cousin Quincy Stanley (Jimbo) Brangman, who is still accused of stabbing Mr. Mallory to death outside Ice Queen restaurant in Paget in July 2001, the victim's family said revenge was not the answer.

Leaving yesterday's murder trial session, Mrs. Mallory said: "I just want the young people to stop; Leave it alone.

"It's not going to bring him back. The young people need to stop. Let the Lord take care of it."

And Mr. Mallory's father, at home last night, said he would not wish to see another family go through what they had.

He said he had no idea who would have fired gunshots at Mr. Bean on Monday night, and was as surprised as everyone else when he heard about it in the media.

"I just want to repeat what Zeble` said - everyone stay calm," said Mr. Mallory, from Somerset.

"This family is grieving, so we don't want other families grieving.

"We are looking for closure because it's been hard for us. Everyone should just accept the decision of the courts. We came home on Monday to deal with the situation; we accepted the justice and I ask everyone else to.

"We don't want anyone else to have trouble. We are trying to stay strong - all we want is peace."

Yesterday afternoon, Assistant Justice Archibald Warner began his summing up of the trial, and is likely to finish this morning.

The jury will then be sent to deliberate whether or not Brangman should be found guilty of the murder of Mr. Mallory, along with a charge of wounding Lemuel Weeks, with intent to do grievous bodily harm, and possession of an offensive weapon - a knife - on the same date.

The 24-year-old, of Cook's Hill, Smiths, has denied all of the charges.

Last night, when the trial finished for the day, Assistant Justice Warner said, in light of the drama around the case, he had made the decision to prevent jury members from returning home.

Instead, they were to spend last night at an undisclosed location, and their families were asked to take their overnight belongings to them.

The murder trial has been subjected to heightened security outside Supreme Court one for the past week after two bomb threats were made on the court buildings in the space of a day. On one occasion, the caller actually named Supreme Court one as the target.

Since then, a number of Police officers in protective body gear have been on duty at the court, searching every person that entered the building, and removing all electrical equipment

And yesterday, officers were also on duty inside the court room, and when proceedings finished for the day, no one was allowed to leave the court until Brangman was inside the prison van and leaving the vicinity.

Last night, Brangman's father, Barry Wellman appealed for calm, regardless of what the outcome was on his son.

He said he was not at his nephew Mr. Bean's home when gunshots were fired on Monday night, but said it had not surprised him.

He said: "I was not there, but it did not shock me. Right now, we are expecting anything.

"All I would say to people is `take the court's guidance'. That is what we are doing.

"I will respect the court's decision, no matter what it is. People should just let the system take its course. I ask everyone to stop before more trouble starts."

And Brangman's aunt, Debra Wellman, said the fighting between gangs of young men on the Island was nothing new, but said it was reaching crisis point.

"I think it's very sad. I would like to know where all of this anger is coming from and why? Most of the people fighting each other are or were friends for many years. Why are they fighting each other?

"Bermuda is too small for this. It's been brewing for a long time, yet people have been saying it does not exist. I know that it does. Where do we all go from here?".