News Desk |
Pop singer Rihanna has called for an end to gun violence after a man she claims to be her cousin died in a shooting in Barbados on Boxing Day.
On 26th December Tuesday night, the singer took to Instagram and posted a series of pictures paying tribute to him. The singer posted a picture of herself with her deceased cousin on Instagram, with a hashtag of end gun violence.
She tagged the Instagram account with the username merka-95 but did not name him. The post has received hundreds of thousands of comments of support and condolence.
“RIP cousin… can’t believe it was just last night that I held you in my arms! never thought that would be the last time I felt the warmth of your body!!! Love you always man”, Rihanna wrote in an emotional post.
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Rihanna did not mention the man’s name or age, neither did she mention how and why he was killed.
In February, Rihanna’s cousin wished the superstar a happy birthday in an Instagram post. “Every day we are happy to have you in our lives,” he wrote. “Your presence in my life is a source of joy and happiness. To my favorite cousin, may all your dreams and wishes come true.”
The local news station has identified the deceased man as 21-year-old Tavon Kaiseen Alleyne. Police have started their investigation and have urged anyone with relevant information to contact them immediately.
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The initial report states that Rihanna’s cousin was shot several times while he was out walking. The elder sister of the deceased Tavon said that her brother was not a saint but that does not mean he deserved to be murdered.
“My brother wasn’t a saint, but he didn’t go looking for trouble,” Tanella Alleyne, 22, told reporters the day after her younger brother’s tragic death.