DAYTON — More than 50 people gathered Friday at noon outside the Montgomery County Courts Building to “continue our efforts to demand justice for Dante Price and his family,” according to Bishop Richard Cox, president of the local Southern Christian Leadership Conference and a national board member.

Price, 25, was killed March 1 by two Ranger Security employees in the parking lot of the Summit Square Apartments off of Hoover Avenue.

Cox has called the shooting an “execution” and a “hate crime.”

The uniformed guards told police they had no choice but to fire numerous rounds into Price’s vehicle because he was trying to run them down. The guards said they were attempting to detain Price on trespassing charges for Dayton police.

But witnesses and Price’s family have raised questions about the shooting, claiming the guards were out to get Price . The local unit of the NAACP launched an investigation on Monday. The SCLC has requested a U.S. Department of Justice investigation. The Justice Department is reviewing that request.

Neither guard was arrested and no charges have been filed.

Dayton homicide detectives have refused to release any information on the case, citing the ongoing investigation. The results of that investigation will be given to Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck Jr. who will decide what if any charges may be filed and presented to a grand jury.

Ranger Security has declined to comment.

Heck was the subject of a verse of the civil rights song “Ain’t Going to Let Nobody Turn Me Around,” substituting Heck’s name for “nobody” in the chorus.

George Roebuck was one of those attending. When asked why, he said he could look back over his 72 years in Dayton. “There’s been a real big change in society.

“This (Price’s killing) deserves some attention.”